AMBULATORY BLOOD-PRESSURE MONITORING DURING PREGNANCY - ESTABLISHMENT OF STANDARDS OF NORMALCY

Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was used as an effective methodology by a primary care physician to assess normalcy of blood pressure (BP) and heart rate during pregnancy. One hundred fifty pregnant women in one of three periods (18 to 22, 30 to 32, and 36 to 38 weeks) of gestation and 30 age-matched nonpregnant women participated in this study. The study was designed to establish ABPM standards of normalcy during critical times of gestation. Twenty-four-hour BP (systolic and diastolic BP) values monitored during gestational weeks 18 to 22 and 30 to 32 were similar to each other and lower than the same values recorded in nonpregnant women. Blood pressures monitored during gestational weeks 36 to 38 were significantly higher than similar values observed during the two earlier gestational periods but not significantly higher than nonpregnancy BP values. Heart rates were significantly elevated during all gestational periods when compared with nonpregnancy heart rates. The results of this study established normalcy BP curves during three different gestational periods. Mean 24-h, daytime, and nighttime BPs were significantly elevated during weeks 36 to 38 when compared with BPs recorded during gestational weeks 18 to 22 and 30 to 32. Ambulatory blood pressure monitoring is a useful tool for the measurement and treatment of BP abnormalities during pregnancy.