The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

BMJ 1995;311:1371 (18 November)

Letters

The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy

EDITOR,--I am disappointed that F Broughton Pipkin's reviewon the hypertensive disorders of pregnancy does not mentiona treatment that is both benign and effective.¹ As long agoas 1984 a group of us, drawn from obstetrics and gynaecology,psychiatry, and psychology, showed that training patients inrelaxation resulted in a halving of the rate of admission ofpatients with hypertension in pregnancy because of the reductionin blood pressure achieved.² This is a cheap and simple treatment,and it would be a pity to ignore it.

Head, department of psychiatry Head, department of obstetricsand gynaecology St Mary's Hospital Medical School, London W21PG

R G Priest, R W Beard

Broughton Pipkin F. The hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. BMJ 1995;311:609-13. (2 September.) [Abstract/Free Full Text]
Little BC, Hayworth J, Benson P, Hall F, Beard RW, Dewhurst J, Priest RG. Treatment of hypertension in pregnancy by relaxation and biofeedback. Lancet 1984;i:865-7.