According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (“ACOG”), hypertensive disorders of pregnancy constitute one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal mortality worldwide. The decrease in placental perfusion that accompanies maternal vascular spasm in pregnancy-induced hypertension accounts for the increased perinatal mortality and morbidity.
The decrease in placental perfusion caused by gestational hypertension often causes serious complications for the baby, including disability and death. It is generally required by the applicable standard of care that a mother be delivered as early as safely possible when she has been diagnosed with gestational hypertension in order to protect fetal well-being and avoid the negative outcomes associated with this disorder of pregnancy.