Prevalence of Adverse Perinatal Outcomes in Adolescent Pregnancy With a Stricter Blood Pressure Cutoff: 130/80 Versus 140/90 mm Hg [ID 1713]

INTRODUCTION: Adolescent pregnancy, defined as occurring between ages 10 and 19, is a public health issue, especially in developing countries, with increased risk of adverse perinatal outcomes. Hypertensive disorders are the main cause of maternal morbidity and mortality, and their prevalence varies depending on the different cutoff point. In 2017, the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology lowered the hypertension definition cutoff to 130–139/80–90 mm Hg, whereas obstetrics guidelines still use the 140/90 mm Hg point. The definition of hypertension in nonpregnant children remains debated, as international guidelines differ. No studies have evaluated the effect of this new cutoff in adolescent pregnancy. This study compares the prevalence of adverse outcomes in pregnant adolescents with blood pressure (BP) control at 130/80 mm Hg versus 140/90 mm Hg. METHODS: A retrospective study of 1,540 pregnant adolescents, in the north of Mexico, from August 2023 to January 2024 assessed adverse perinatal outcomes; patients were divided into two groups based on their systolic and diastolic BP. T-Student, Mann–Whitney U, Pearson’s chi-squared, and Fisher’s exact tests were used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in preeclampsia without severe features (19 versus 40; P <.001), preeclampsia with severe features (PE-SF) by BP levels (2 versus 7; P <.001), PE-SF by clinical data (0 versus 3; P =.003), PE-SF by renal damage (0 versus 3; P =.003), and intensive care unit admission (5 versus 6; P =.002). CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS: A cutoff of 130/80 mm Hg to define hypertension in adolescent pregnancy significantly reduces adverse perinatal outcomes.