Higher Maternal BP Increases Risk for Adverse Pregnancy and Perinatal Outcomes

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 21, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- Higher maternal blood pressure increases the risk for multiple adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes, according to a study published online Jan. 14 in BMC Medicine.Fernanda Morales‑Berstein, from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom, and colleagues performed two-sample Mendelian randomization to assess the effect of systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP) during pregnancy on 16 primary and eight secondary adverse pregnancy and perinatal outcomes. The analysis included data from large-scale meta-analyses of genome-wide association studies (SBP/DBP: 1,028,980 individuals; pregnancy and perinatal outcomes: 74,368 to 714,899).The researchers found that a 10-mmHg higher genetically predicted maternal SBP increased the odds of gestational diabetes, induction of labor, low birth weight (LBW), small-for-gestational age, preterm birth, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission (odds ratios ranging from 1.11 for NICU admission to 1.33 for LBW). Conversely, a 10-mmHg higher genetically predicted maternal SBP decreased the odds of high birth weight, large-for-gestational age, and post-term birth (odds ratios ranging from 0.76 for high birth weight to 0.94 for post-term birth). There was no evidence that genetically predicted higher maternal SBP was associated with miscarriage or stillbirth. Similar patterns were seen for maternal DBP. "By using genetic information to better isolate cause and effect, our study helps clarify whether a mother’s blood pressure itself contributes to pregnancy and newborn complications," coauthor Maria-Carolina Borges, Ph.D., also from the University of Bristol, said in a statement. "This matters for clinical care and public health, as it strengthens the evidence base needed to guide prevention, monitoring, and treatment strategies aimed at improving maternal and infant outcomes."Abstract/Full Text.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter