**8. Long-term fetal complications in hypertensive mothers**

Follow-up of the offspring of mothers with any pregnancy-associated hypertensive state [33] has shown that by age 7, their systolic blood pressure is increased although within normal parameters—SBP of 104 mm Hg (95%CI 101–106 vs. SBP 99 mm Hg, 95%CI 99–100, p = 0.001)—and this cardiometabolic injury is evident from the age of 2 years.

This abnormality is only observed in full-term births and not in premature offspring; a posited explanation is that the stress caused by preterm delivery protects the fetus from sequelae.

Another consequence observed in the offspring of hypertensive mothers is the development of hypertension and cerebral vascular disease when these children reach adulthood. Also, their risk of developing hypertension increases if their body mass index is elevated, and this has been observed since the ages of 4–10, even if the mother had hypertension with no proteinuria; the presence of elevated liver enzymes or thrombocytopenia has also been associated with hypertension in young offspring [34, 35].

**135**

*Adolescence and Preeclampsia*

**9. Points to remember**

comorbidities.

be an additional factor.

C, vitamin E, and essential fatty acids).

latter part of gestation, close to full-term delivery.

stages and improves maternal and fetal outcomes.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86147*

endothelial dysfunction associated with preeclampsia.

pregnant adolescents is that they are not modified by age.

health issue, and a continuous social reflection.

around 10% of all pregnancies.

Fetal changes due to maternal hypertension have been associated with genetic and environmental mechanisms that condition modifications in fetal programming [36]. Among the effects caused by preeclampsia, one hypothesis suggests that superficial invasion of spiral arteries leads to fetal malnutrition. Changes in fetal programming may also involve abnormalities in the inflammatory response and

An important point in this description of long-term sequelae in the offspring of

• Adolescent pregnancy is a very important biopsychosocial event, a public

• Hypertensive problem associated with pregnancy including the period of adolescence is another public health issue; its prevalence in the worldwide is

• Preeclampsia in adolescents refers to a relatively common hypertensive disorder during pregnancy that develops progressively. Its cause remains unknown,

graphic location, race, nutritional or immunological factors, and associated

• Traditional references accept that the risk of preeclampsia-eclampsia in adolescents is twice that in the adult population, but in recent studies including meta-analysis, the presence of preeclampsia in pregnant adolescents varies from a 20% more frequent and specifically in the group of 13–16 years (OR 2.97, 95% CI 1.62–5.42) to 23% less. Therefore, the available evidence suggests that adolescence is not a determining factor in the development of preeclampsia and eclampsia, but geographic area does appear to

• Two other determinants of risk factor for developing preeclampsia in pregnant adolescent are obesity and inadequate nutrient intake (calcium, zinc, vitamin

• In adolescents with preeclampsia, the disease is generally manifested in the

• A good prenatal care fosters timely diagnosis of hypertensive disease in earlier

and it frequently leads to severe maternal and perinatal complications.

• The incidence is broad since it depends on various aspects such as geo-

*Adolescence and Preeclampsia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86147*

Fetal changes due to maternal hypertension have been associated with genetic and environmental mechanisms that condition modifications in fetal programming [36]. Among the effects caused by preeclampsia, one hypothesis suggests that superficial invasion of spiral arteries leads to fetal malnutrition. Changes in fetal programming may also involve abnormalities in the inflammatory response and endothelial dysfunction associated with preeclampsia.

An important point in this description of long-term sequelae in the offspring of pregnant adolescents is that they are not modified by age.
