CUHK study reveals effective prevention for preterm preeclampsia

Early screening has been shown to reduce risks of preterm preeclampsia by 41%.

The Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at The Chinese University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Medicine conducted a study on the efficacy, acceptance, and safety of an early screen-and-prevent strategy for preterm preeclampsia.

The research screened 42,897 women at 11-13 weeks of pregnancy between August 2019 and February 2022 using the FMF triple test to predict preterm preeclampsia. High-risk women received low-dose aspirin from before 16 weeks until 36 weeks.

Results showed that the procedure reduced the risks of preterm preeclampsia and early onset preeclampsia by 41% and 54% respectively. The risks of spontaneous preterm birth and perinatal death also decreased by 55% and 66%.

In addition, 88% of participating Asian women accepted this screening strategy.

Preeclampsia is a condition that causes many maternal and perinatal complications. It affects 2% to 8% of pregnant women globally, resulting in 76,000 women and 500,000 babies dying each year from the disorder during pregnancy.