The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) strongly recommends screening for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy at each prenatal visit. This latest recommendation, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, is based on a systematic review conducted by Jillian T. Henderson, Ph.D., and colleagues from the Kaiser Permanente Evidence-based Practice Center. The aim of their review was to update the evidence on the effectiveness of screening for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.
The review included six studie, which compared changes in prenatal screening practices to routine care. The studies, consisting of 10,165 participants, did not report significant differences in maternal and infant complications when comparing alternate screening strategies to usual care. However, it should be noted that estimates for serious, rare health outcomes were imprecise. The addition of home blood pressure measurement to prenatal care visits did not lead to earlier diagnosis of hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. Furthermore, there was no difference in incidence between groups in trials of reduced prenatal visit schedules.
Based on these findings, the USPSTF concludes that screening for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy through blood pressure measurements has substantial net benefit. They recommend screening throughout pregnancy for asymptomatic pregnant individuals with blood pressure measurements at each prenatal visit.
Screening for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy is crucial because these conditions can cause serious health issues for both the pregnant person and their baby. By implementing regular blood pressure measurements, healthcare providers can identify potential problems early and provide necessary interventions. Ensuring maternal and infant health is of utmost importance, and screening is a fundamental step in achieving that.
Sources:
– Jillian T. Henderson et al, Screening for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy, JAMA (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.4934
– Anna E. Denoble et al, Hypertension Screening in Pregnancy, JAMA (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jama.2023.15088
– Srilakshmi Mitta et al, Screening for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy in the US—A New Hypertensive Urgency, JAMA Internal Medicine (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.4723
– Janelle Santos et al, Early Identification of Individuals at Risk for Hypertensive Disorders of Pregnancy, JAMA Network Open (2023). DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2023.34858
