PREGNANCY-INDUCED HYPERTENSION AND EARLY NEONATAL DEATH - A CASE-CONTROL STUDY

Literature on the association between pregnancy-induced hypertension a nd early neonatal death is limited. The present case-control study con sisted of 342 early neonatal deaths and 523 frequency-matched controls . After controlling for other factors such as infant sex, gravidity, m aternal age, threatened abortion, and maternal anemia, moderate to sev ere pregnancy-induced hypertension was associated with an increased ri sk of early neonatal death with apparent dose-effect gradients (odds r atio = 1.8 for moderate and 2.2 for severe). The biologic plausibility of pregnancy-induced hypertension as a cause of neonatal mortality is discussed.