Originally published October 21 2005
Researchers search for evidence to prove the benefits of bed rest for pregnant women with high blood pressure
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, NaturalNews Editor
Researcher Shireen Meher, MDBS, talks candidly about preeclampsia and why her study has yet to turn up evidence that bed rest helps pregnant women suffering from hypertension.
Pregnant women with uncontrolled high blood pressure may be put on bed rest for days, weeks, or even months, but it is not clear if the practice improves birth outcomes, a newly published review shows.
Researchers concluded that there is not enough clinical evidence to conclude that bed rest is or is not useful for moderate to severe hypertension in pregnancy.
"Despite the fact that bed rest is recommended quite often in clinical practice, very few well- designed trials have evaluated its effectiveness," researcher Shireen Meher, MDBS, tells WebMD.
"Until there is good evidence to show that bed rest is beneficial, it should not be recommended routinely in clinical practice for pregnant women with hypertension."
While some women enter pregnancy with high blood pressure, others develop hypertension after becoming pregnant or become hypertensive as a result of a potentially serious complication of pregnancy known as preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia occurs in about 5% of pregnancies, usually diagnosed after the 20th week.
In addition to high blood pressure (140/90 or greater in a woman with previously normal blood pressure), the condition is characterized by protein in the urine.
In its most severe form (blood pressure of 160/110 or higher), preeclampsia can threaten the life of the mother and her baby.
Women with the condition must be closely monitored, and bed rest is often recommended.
But the only known cure is delivery of the baby.
Preeclampsia and other high blood pressure disorders are the major cause of pregnancy-related death.
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