High blood pressure, also called hypertension, can lead to poor maternal and birth outcomes. Hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (HDP) are a leading cause of pregnancy-related death in the United States. It can lead to complications such as preeclampsia, eclampsia, stroke, preterm delivery, and placental abruption. Hypertensive disorders can also lead to low birthweight (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Prenatal care and interventions to increase access to health care can help with controlling and monitoring blood pressure during and after pregnancy (Healthy People 2030). 

Considerations for Equitable Approaches: Nationally, there are notable disparities in prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy. By race/ethnicity, the prevalence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy is highest among pregnant people who identify as non-Hispanic Black or African American and non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native. Pregnant people 35 years and older, those residing in zip codes in the lowest median household income quartile or delivering in hospitals in the South or the Midwest Census regions also experience higher prevalence of hypertensive disorders (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).