Effect of age, parity, and race on the incidence of pregnancy associated hypertension and eclampsia in the United States

Purpose: To describe the incidence of pregnancy associated hypertension and eclampsia from adolescence through the fifth decade of life, including the effect of parity and race, in the United States. Methods: Data were evaluated from the National Center for Health Statistics (vital statistics section). The data were stratified by maternal age group, parity (G1, first pregnancy; G2+, second or higher pregnancy), and racial group. Results: The incidence of pregnancy associated hypertension (PAH) decreased with increased age in late adolescence in the G2+ group but not the G1 group (total and all racial groups). The incidence of PAH was significantly greater for non-Hispanic black or non-Hispanic white than Hispanic groups for all age groups (P <=.02) except age <= 15 years (G2+ group) and 45-54 years (both G1 and G2+ groups). The incidence of eclampsia decreased with increased age in late adolescence in the G2+ group (total and all racial groups) and the G1 group (total and non-Hispanic black groups). The incidence of eclampsia was significantly greater for non-Hispanic black than non-Hispanic white and for non-Hispanic white than Hispanic groups for all age groups except age <= 15 years in the G2+ group. The incidence of PAH and eclampsia increased substantially in both G1 and G2+ groups in the fifth decade of life (total and all racial groups). Conclusions: The incidence of PAH (G2+ group) and eclampsia (G1 and G2+ groups) decreased with increased age during adolescence and increased in the fifth decade (G1 and G2+ groups). (C) 2013 International Society for the Study of Hypertension in Pregnancy Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.