Chinese Doctors Study 18 Million Pregnant Women to Learn About High Blood Pressure

Scientists in China studied the health records of 18 million pregnant women from 2016 to 2019. They wanted to learn about high blood pressure during pregnancy and how it affects mothers and babies. The researchers used data from over 1,400 hospitals across China. This was one of the biggest studies ever done on pregnant women in Asia.

The scientists got their information from a special computer system called the Hospital Quality Monitoring System. This system was created by China's government in 2012 to help doctors track patient health. It collects information every day from big hospitals all over China. The system keeps track of 346 different pieces of information about each patient who stays in the hospital.

High blood pressure during pregnancy can be very dangerous for both mothers and babies. There are different types of this condition with long medical names. Some women already have high blood pressure before they get pregnant. Others develop it only while they are pregnant.

Out of the 18 million women in the study, about one million had some form of high blood pressure during pregnancy. That means about one in every 18 pregnant women had this problem. The scientists found five main types of high blood pressure conditions. Each type can cause different problems for mothers and their babies.

The results of this study will help doctors in China and other Asian countries better understand high blood pressure during pregnancy. Many Asian countries don't have good systems for tracking this condition. This research gives doctors important information about how common the problem is. It can help them take better care of pregnant women in the future.