Iron Supplementation and Preeclampsia Prevention in Pregnancy

Introduction to Iron Supplementation and Preeclampsia Prevention

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends early glucose screening only for women with risk factors for undiagnosed type 2 diabetes, including history of gestational diabetes, previous macrosomia, obesity, metabolic syndrome, age >35 years, vascular disease, or high-risk ethnicity, in order to identify those at risk and provide appropriate care 1
Proteinuria screening is not indicated in normotensive pregnant women without hypertension, as it is only performed when evaluating for preeclampsia, which requires hypertension as a prerequisite, according to the American Heart Association 1
The European Society of Cardiology recommends low-dose aspirin (75-162 mg daily) only for women at high risk or moderate risk for preeclampsia, starting before 16 weeks but definitely before 20 weeks gestation, in order to reduce the risk of preeclampsia and its associated complications 3, 4

High-risk factors for preeclampsia include prior preeclampsia, chronic hypertension, chronic kidney disease, autoimmune disease, diabetes, or antiphospholipid syndrome, according to the American Heart Association 3
Moderate-risk factors for preeclampsia include first pregnancy in women >40 years, pregnancy interval >10 years, BMI >35 kg/m², family history of preeclampsia, or multiple pregnancies, as defined by the European Society of Cardiology 2