Preeclampsia

An algorithm from the Fetal Medicine Foundation used a blood test, ultrasound data and maternal characteristics in the first trimester of pregnancy to predict preterm and early-onset preeclampsia, a recent study showed.

A first-trimester algorithm that includes a blood test, ultrasound data and maternal characteristics predicted two-thirds of preterm preeclampsia and three-quarters of early-onset preeclampsia among nulliparous women, researchers reported.

Women with preterm birth, small for gestational age infants, preeclampsia, hypertensive disorders or gestational diabetes had increased mortality risks persisting more than 40 years after delivery, researchers reported.

Folic acid is critical for prenatal care, according to experts, and research has suggested its supplementation could also offer benefits in some other areas of health.

Among Hispanic women, gestational hypertension was associated with decreased processing speed and executive functioning after age 45 years, according to results of an analysis published in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Preeclampsia significantly increases future risk for CVD; however, many women with preeclampsia fail to attend postpartum follow-up visits and, therefore, do not receive proper preventive care.

“Knowledge and understanding of what preeclampsia can do during and after pregnancy and birth is critical.”

Differences in U.S. cause of death surveillance methods may cause variations in currently high reported maternal mortality rates, researchers reported in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Spontaneous preterm birth risk throughout pregnancy is higher for women with greater risk for preeclampsia in the first trimester, according to study results published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

Among pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, more time in optimal glucose range at 12 weeks gestation was associated with lower risks for preeclampsia and large for gestational age infants, researchers reported.