More Pregnant Women on Blood Pressure Drugs: Study

Experts consider some meds safer than others for developing fetus

By Kathleen Doheny
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Growing numbers of pregnant women are on medicines to treat high blood pressure, new research indicates.

"The reasons for the increase are not entirely clear," said study author Dr. Brian Bateman, an assistant professor of anesthesia at Harvard Medical School.

While it's important to manage high blood pressure during pregnancy, certain drugs are preferred due to their safety profile. In the study, Bateman found that many women were not on those drugs.

"We need to do more research to figure out which medicines are the best for insuring a good pregnancy outcome for both mother and baby," he said.