First Trimester Prediction of Preeclampsia and Fetal Growth Restriction Using Uterine Artery Doppler, Maternal Blood Pressure, Maternal Characteristics, Placental Volume and Maternal Serum Factors

Preeclampsia (PE) is a condition which affects approximately 2% of all pregnancies and can be a major cause of maternal and perinatal morbidity/mortality (2). The suspected underlying mechanism of PE is thought to be impaired trophoblastic invasion of the maternal spiral arteries leading to impaired placental perfusion, placental ischemia and subsequent development of endothelial dysfunction (3). There is evidence that PE, which is commonly associated with fetal growth restriction, can be predicted effectively at 11-13 weeks gestational age by combined screening algorithms combining uterine artery pulsatility index (PI), maternal mean arterial pressure (MAP) and maternal serum concentrations of placental products including but not limited to plasma protein A (PAPP-A), and placental growth factor (PLGF) (4-6).

Aim of Study/Hypothesis:

The aim of this study is to develop an algorithm based on the combination of maternal factors, uterine artery pulsatility index, mean arterial pressure, placental volume and serum biomarkers to estimate patient specific risks for the development of Preeclampsia in a US population.