What recommendations does the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists make for treatment of severe hypertension during pregnancy?
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends treatment of severe hypertension and suggests labetalol as first-line therapy, and it recommends avoidance of atenolol, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, and angiotensin receptor blockers. In addition to pharmacological control of hypertension, the use of magnesium sulfate for seizure prophylaxis is well established and has been demonstrated in randomized trials to decrease risk of stroke in women with severe high BP in pregnancy and eclampsia.