Studies on toxemia of pregnancy with special reference to blood pressure. I. Incidence and some characteristic features of the mothers and infants.

An investigation was made of 150 women who were diagnosed at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital, Uppsala in 1964-68 as having toxaemia of pregnancy. Eleven had eclampsia and the remainder pre-eclampsia. Toxaemia occurred in 0.88% (average) of all parturients during the study period. Some characteristics of the mothers and their infants are reported. Thus, there were more instrumental deliveries in the toxaemia group than in the non-toxaemic patients delivered in the clinic. The maternal weight at delivery was also greater in the toxaemia group. The frequency of complications among the infants was higher in the group with toxaemia. There were more stillbirths, lower birth weights and more congenital malformations. With regard to blood pressure, almost identical pressures were noted in the eclamptic and pre-eclamptic groups, with one exception. The maximum blood pressure recorded during delivery was higher in the eclamptic than in the pre-eclamptic group (198/127 and 175/117).