Timed Birth Can Prevent Many Preeclampsia Cases

New research published in Hypertension, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association, reveals that more than 50% of all preeclampsia cases that occur during weeks 37-42 of pregnancy (at-term) may be stopped with timed birth, like a planned induction or Cesarean delivery.

Preeclampsia is a dangerous form of high blood pressure (≥140/90 mm Hg) during pregnancy and represents a leading cause of maternal death globally. Preeclampsia also increases the risk of acquiring heart health complications among women later in life.

Researchers scrutinized health records for nearly 90,000 gestations at two hospitals in the U.K. Among the 57,131 pregnancies with health histories at 11 to 13 weeks, there were 1,138 at-term preeclampsia cases, and among 29,035 pregnancy records at 35 to 36 weeks, there were 619 at-term preeclampsia cases. The researchers estimated both groups' preeclampsia risk and the potential advantages of timed birth.

They discovered that at-term preeclampsia emerged with similar rates among participants screened during the first trimester as well as during the third trimester. Women included in the study delivered at a mean of 40 weeks, with a spontaneous onset of labor occurring in about two-thirds of the subjects. About 25% of the women included in the analysis had Cesarean deliveries.

At last, Laura A. Magee, professor of women's health at King's College in London and the study's lead author, stated," Our study results suggest that more than 50% of the cases of at-term preeclampsia may be prevented by timed (planned) birth. It is crucial to remark that a boosted risk of at-term preeclampsia links with earlier spontaneous onset of labor, so women with the augmented risk are already less probable to deliver close to their due date."