Dr. Mitchell echoed this concern, writing that while it was reasonable to assume that untreated hypertension is less severe than treated hypertension, observational studies "have lacked data on crucial variables related to hypertension in pregnancy." He also questioned whether a "prehypertensive" condition could affect the fetus before an increase in maternal blood pressure is detected.
Dr. Li and colleagues’ study was funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Food and Drug Administration. Neither Dr. Li nor his colleagues declared conflicts of interest. Dr. Mitchell disclosed no conflicts of interest related to his editorial.