Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy are important cause of severe morbidity, long-term disability and death among both mothers and their babies. In Africa and Asia, nearly one tenth of all maternal deaths are associated with hypertensive disorders of pregnancy research has focused on the antenatal complications' for both mother and baby and the risks and benefits of administering antihypertensive therapy prior to delivery hypertension disorders of pregnancy often persist following delivery and sometimes arise de novo postpartum one of the maternal complications of pre eclampsia is residual chronic hypertension in about 1/3 of cases elevated blood pressure is seen in 6%to 8% of all pregnancies hypertension (arterial pressure \>140/90 mmhg) in pregnancy is classified into one of four conditions
1. chronic hypertension that precedes pregnancy
2. pre eclampsia and eclampsia: a systematic syndrome of elevated arterial pressure,proteinuria and other findings
3. pre eclampsia superimposed upon chronic hypertension
4. gestational hypertension or nonproteinuric hypertension of pregnancy evaluate the effectiveness, safety and acceptability of Oral nifedipine versus oral labetalol in treatment of persistent postpartum hypertension
