Competing risks model in screening for preeclampsia by maternal factors and biomarkers at 30-34 weeks' gestation.

Background: Preeclampsia (PE) affects 2-3% of all pregnancies and is a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality. We have proposed a 2-stage strategy for the identification of pregnancies at high risk of developing PE. The objective of the first stage, at 11-13 weeks' gestation, is a reduction in the prevalence of the disease through pharmacological intervention in the high-risk group.

Prediction of small-for-gestational-age neonates: screening by uterine artery Doppler and mean arterial pressure at 19-24 weeks.

Objective: To investigate the potential value of uterine artery (UtA) pulsatility index (PI) and mean arterial pressure (MAP) at 19-24 weeks' gestation, in combination with maternal characteristics and medical history and fetal biometry in the prediction of delivery of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates in the absence of pre-eclampsia (PE) and to examine the potential value of such assessment in deciding whether the third-trimester scan should be performed at 32 and/or 36 weeks' gestation.

Methods: This was a screening study in 63 975 singleton pregnancies, including 3702 (5.8%) that delivered SGA neonates with birth weight < 5(th) percentile (SGA < 5(th) ) in the absence of PE.

Prediction of small-for-gestational-age neonates: screening by fetal biometry at 35-37 weeks.

Objective: To investigate the value of fetal biometry at 35-37 weeks' gestation in the prediction of delivery of small-for-gestational-age (SGA) neonates, in the absence of pre-eclampsia (PE).

Methods: This was a screening study in singleton pregnancies at 35-37 weeks' gestation, comprising 278 that delivered SGA neonates with a birth weight < 5th percentile and 5237 cases unaffected by SGA, PE or gestational hypertension. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to determine if screening by a combination of maternal factors and Z-scores of fetal head circumference (HC), abdominal circumference (AC) and femur length (FL) or estimated fetal weight (EFW) had a significant contribution to the prediction of SGA neonates.