Study on change trend of blood pressure and related factors in 40 819 pregnant women in Zhoushan, Zhejiang

Objective To describe and analyze the change trend of blood pressure and related factors in 40 819 pregnant women in Zhoushan of Zhejiang province.

Methods The change trend of blood pressure in 40 819 pregnant women who had perinatal health care and delivery in Zhoushan Maternal and Child Health Care Center from January 2001 to December 2016 were described. The influence factors were analyzed by using multi factor generalized estimation equation.

Results The average systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) of pregnant women increased with gestational age. The higher the age of pregnant women and their body mass index (BMI) before pregnancy were, the higher the level of blood pressure during pregnancy was. The higher the pregnant women’s educational levels were, the higher the DBP of pregnant women were during pregnancy, but the effect on SBP was not significant. The birth history of pregnant women and the sex of the fetus had no significant influence on pregnant women’s blood pressure. The results of multivariate analysis showed that pre pregnancy BMI, maternal age, gestational age and educational level were related to SBP and DBP during pregnancy.

Conclusion The age, BMI before pregnancy, gestational age and educational level of pregnant women were the main factors influencing the rise of blood pressure during pregnancy. Therefore, the monitoring and management of pregnant women’s blood pressure should be carried out throughout the pregnancy. For the weight management, special attention should be paid to the management of blood pressure in pregnant women who are overweight or obese before pregnancy and in older pregnant women.