Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) is a common complication in the gestational period which frequently occurs after 20 weeks'. Main features include hypertension and proteinuria, which may be accompanied by functional lesion or non-function of multiple organs [1]. The incidence of PIH is quite high and causes great harm to pregnant women, fetus, and neonate. It is one of the important reasons leading to fetal growth restriction, fetal distress, perinatal death, and maternal death, and PIH, especially severe preeclampsia and eclampsia cause great harm to infants and mothers [2]. The basic pathological changes include decrease of blood perfusion of all organs caused by arteriolar spasm, ischemia, and hypoxia of organ and tissue, and increase of vascular permeability; the uterine placental vessel undergoes acute atherosclerosis, which causes the decrease of placental blood and placental function, and thus leads to intrauterine growth restriction and fetal distress. The pathogeny of PIH is not completely illustrated at present; some believe that vascular endothelial injury and immune imbalance are important links in the development of PIH [3,4], while others uphold that inflammation participates in it [5].Previous studies on this disease mostly focus on its effect on pregnant women, however, there are few reports on its effect on fetus and neonate. In recent years, some schol-ars have indicated that PIH may be related to the occurrence of newborn diseases, such as infection, septicemia, intracranial hemorrhage, and retinopathy. PIH will affect the neonate or fetus' blood pressure, hormone system, neuro-development system, as well as long-term physical strength, intelligence and living quality [6][7][8]. Through observing the basic clinical conditions and immune system indexes in neonates whose mothers suffered from PIH, the present authors investigated the effect of PIH on neonate's immune system.
Materials and MethodsSixty neonates of mothers that suffered from PIH were admitted to the present hospital between June 2013 and June 2014 and enrolled in this study. They were divided into preeclampsia group (28 cases) and gestational hypertension (GH) group (32 cases) according to the severity of gestational hypertension. Inclusion criteria: (1) born in the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics of the present hospital, gestational age of 28~41 weeks, birth weight < 4,000 grams (within 24 hours after birth); (2) single birth, live birth, spontaneous labor or cesarean section; (3) mother complicated with GH had an age between 20~35 years. Exclusion criteria: neonates whose mother suffered from anemia, primary hypertension, diabetes, liver and kidney disease, chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, or had a history of infection. Thirty full-term neonates whose healthy mothers had been hospitalized in the same period were selected as the control group. The family members of all enrolled neonates signed the informed consent.