Comparitive study of therapeutic effects of labetalol with methyldopa in hypertension in pregnancy induced hypertension and fetal outcome

Abstract

In a country like India, where maternal mortality rate is still very high despite progress and development which has consistently been made in the health services, a big proportion is still deprived of it. Hypertension is the most common medical problem encountered during pregnancy. This study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of labetalol versus methyldopa in the treatment of pre-eclampsia and prevention of further complications. The present study had been carried out on antenatal booked 110 cases between 20 – 40 years of age who developed hypertension after 20 weeks period of gestation with or without oedema & proteinuria or both, attending antenatal OPD or Emergency at Govt General Hospital, Nizamabad, from 1st December 2017 to 31may 2018. : Incidence of PIH in the present study is 7.23% in the booked population. Side effects of drugs were reported more in methyldopa group as compared to labetalol. Adverse foetal outcomes, especially IUGR and pre term babies are more in methyldopa group as compared to labetalol group. Emergency lscs cases are 14 out of 55 in labetalol group,22 out of 55 in methyldopa group were noted. Most common indication for emergency LSCS in both the groups was uncontrolled hypertension, but cases are more in methyldopa group. in Labetalol group 7 out of 55 underwent EL LSCS, in methyldopa group 6 out of 55 underwent LSCS. Total no of caesarean sections in labetalol group are 21 out of 55(32.7%),whereas in methyldopa group28 out of 55 (50.9%), so operative interference is more in methyldopa group when compared to labetalol group.: It concludes that labetalol is suitable for use during pregnancy to reduce maternal and fetal side-effects, so it has efficient hypotensive action.