Pre eclampsia screening

Pre-eclampsia occurs in around 1 in 50 pregnancies. It is pregnancy induced high blood pressure and is one of the most common life threatening conditions occurring in pregnancy.

Unfortunately, high blood pressure can be dangerous to the mother and baby. The only current treatment is delivery and the timing of this has to be balanced against the stage of the pregnancy and therefore the maturity of the baby.

Screening during the first trimester can identify women at high-risk for pre-eclampsia. This could potentially improve the pregnancy outcome because better maternal and fetal monitoring would lead to earlier detection of the clinical signs of the disease and where necessary medication can be given.

In addition to your 11—13 week scan you can opt to have a screening test for this potentially serious condition. There is extensive evidence that early pre-eclampsia is associated with an increased risk to you and your baby’s health.