Effects of Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy On The Mortality and Complications in Very Low Birth Weight Neonates

Abstract Purpose This study was designed to investigate the effects of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP) on the mortality and complications in very low birth weight neonates. Methods Premature infants at a gestational age of < 37 weeks with a birth weight of < 1,500g were included in this retrospective analysis. Gestational age-matched pregnant women with normal blood pressure giving birth to a very low birth weight neonate served as normal control. HDP neonates were divided into three subgroups based on the disease severity, including gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia. Then we compared the incidence of complications among three subgroups. We also analyzed the relationship between the subgroups and the neonatal prognosis. Results The incidence of fetal distress, small for gestational age (SGA), mechanical ventilation, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC, ≥ 2 stage), and mortality in HDP group were significantly higher than those of the control. The 1 min Apgar score in HDP group was significantly lower than that of the normal control (P < 0.05). There were significant differences in fetal distress, 1 min Apgar score, mechanical ventilation, RDS and NEC (≥ 2 stage) among HDP, pre-eclampsia and eclampsia subgroups (P < 0.05). Multivariate regression analysis indicated that pre-eclampsia was an independent risk factor for SGA (OR = 4.123, 95%CI: 2.783–6.109) and NEC (OR = 2.493, 95%CI: 1.161–5.351). Eclampsia was a risk factor for SGA (OR = 3.804, 95%CI: 1.239–11.681) and NEC (OR = 7.264, 95%CI: 1.771–29.797). Conclusions HDP may affect the prognosis of very low birth weight neonates. Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia were risk factors for SGA and NEC.