The HYPITAT study was conducted in a European
population where common practice is not to initiate
antihypertensive therapy until hypertension meets
the criteria for severe hypertension and may not
be directly applicable to a UK population, where it
could be anticipated that a greater number of women
would be on antihypertensive therapy. However, the
findings that earlier induction did not increase the
Caesarean section rate or neonatal morbidity are
consistent with the DIGITAT study and the results of a large retrospective Scottish
study and suggest that the risk–
benefit profile is indeed in favour of induction after
37 weeks even in women with mild disease.