Non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring
(ABPM) seems to be a useful tool for the diagnosis,
differential diagnosis and follow-up of PIH. It
contributes to identification of cases with white-coat
hypertension (WCH), prediction of PE, prognosis in
late pregnancy and treatment modification.84-88
WCH refers to elevated blood pressure measurements
when “in clinic”, while “out of clinic” measurements
are normal. WCH in pregnancy is a frequent
and benign condition with good prognosis and no
apparent need for antihypertensive treatment. Despite
that, a small proportion of patients with WCH in early
pregnancy will develop PE later in pregnancy.89,90
Consequently, it is essential to differentiate WCH
from PIH, thus avoiding exposing these women to the
possible adverse effects of antihypertensive treatment
as well as unnecessary caesarean sections. In addition,
detection of that group of women with WCH who
are going to develop PE is important for pregnancy
outcome. ABPM contributes to the achievement of
both the above goals, in parallel with the evaluation
of treatment efficacy.