Medications, Pregnancy and Lactation

Antihypertensive drugs use during pregnancy: Risks and benefits for the mother and child

Hypertension is one of the most frequently reported medical disorders of pregnancy and often needs to be managed by antihypertensive drugs. In fact, antihypertensive drugs are the most commonly used medications during pregnancy. However, there is still no strong evidence about the appropriate use of antihypertensive drugs for the management of hypertension or about their impact on hypertensive women and their unborn children.

Through this study, the team aims to: (1) determine the prevalence and trends of antihypertensive drug use during pregnancy, (2) identify predictors associated with antihypertensive drug use during pregnancy, and (3) evaluate the association between antihypertensive drug exposure and prematurity, low birth weight and major congenital malformations. These different aspects of cardiovascular medication use during pregnancy are studied using data from the Quebec Pregnancy Registry.