Early preeclampsia screening and prevention: An update for general practice.

BACKGROUND

Preeclampsia is a disorder of pregnancy that causes significant adverse perinatal outcomes. Risk factor-based screening performs poorly when compared with algorithm-based approaches. The role of general practitioners in early screening for preeclampsia is crucial in predicting and preventing the condition.

OBJECTIVE

This article discusses the different screening approaches and interventions available for prevention of preeclampsia, making the case for a screen-and-treat model based on individual risk calculation for all pregnant women.

DISCUSSION: The Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) algorithm is the most effective validated tool for early preeclampsia screening. Where components of the full FMF algorithm are unavailable, a limited FMF model can be used as an alternative to risk factor-based screening alone. A screen-and-treat approach based on individual risk calculation should be provided to all pregnant women, and low‑dose aspirin should be offered to women at high risk to reduce the risk of preterm preeclampsia by up to 62%.