Prenatal Mindfulness & Hypertension Study

Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are one of the greatest causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality. Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy affect 1 out of every 10 pregnancies, the rate has increased substantially over the past several decades, and rates of recurrence are as high as 50%. Treatments to prevent the recurrence of hypertension are extremely limited and include watchful waiting, anti-hypertensive medications, or ultimately, early delivery. There are currently no effective alternatives to pharmacological interventions to prevent hypertension recurrence in pregnancy.

Mindfulness interventions hold great potential as a non-pharmacological approach to reduce stress and prevent the recurrence of hypertension in pregnant women with histories of hypertensive disorders. However, traditional group-based mindfulness training interventions, requiring 2.5 hours of class attendance for 8 weeks plus a full-day retreat, are infeasible in pregnancies complicated by hypertensive disorders due to the need for activity restriction, hospitalization, and increased maternal and fetal monitoring.

The goal of the current study is to determine if phone-delivered mindfulness training is feasible and acceptable among pregnant women with histories of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. 20 pregnant women with histories of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy will be randomized to an 8-week phone-delivered mindfulness training intervention (N=10) or usual care (N=10). All women will undergo 24-hour ambulatory blood pressure monitoring before and after the intervention. The investigators will used a mixed-methods approach using both quantitative and qualitative data to examine feasibility/acceptability. The working hypothesis, to be tested in a fully-powered randomized controlled trial, is that phone-delivered mindfulness training will reduce risk for hypertension recurrence.

Inclusion criteria

• > 18 years old,
• Singleton pregnancy,
• English speaking,
• <20 weeks' gestation at enrollment,
• History of a hypertensive disorder in a prior pregnancy.

Exclusion criteria

• No current engagement in mindfulness training (defined as weekly yoga, mindfulness exercises (including on-line), or meditation).