A new Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology study provides evidence that pregnant women with hypertension can safely monitor their blood pressure at home instead of going into a hospital or clinic. This reduces the number of hospital visits without compromising their health or the health of their babies. The study included 108 women who were taught how to measure and record their blood pressure using a validated machine at home. A control group of 58 women was monitored in a clinic. There were no differences in adverse maternal, fetal, or neonatal outcomes.
“It is time to use existing technology in order to improve the way we look after pregnant women. Supported by both quantitative and qualitative research data, Home Monitoring of Hypertension in Pregnancy has proven very popular and is likely to be safe and cost saving,” said senior author and ISUOG Ambassador Prof. Asma Khalil, of St. George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, in London. “It is important to acknowledge that more studies are needed to establish safety for rare pregnancy complications and various aspects of its implementation in different healthcare settings.”
Home Monitoring of Hypertension in Pregnancy has been selected to join the NHS Innovation Accelerator programme, which is supported by NHS England, Academic Health Science Networks, and University College London Partners.
Read the free-access full study now. For more UOG content, become an ISUOG journal member.
Comment from Dr Asma Khalil
Executive Committee, Finance & Risk Committee, Courses Sub-Committee, Twins Special Interest Group, Doppler Special Interest Group
Prof. Asma Khalil is a Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal-Fetal Medicine at St George’s University Hospital (University of London). She is a subspecialist in Maternal and Fetal Medicine, specialising in scanning women and babies with complications in pregnancy. She is the lead for the Multiple Pregnancy service at St George’s Hospital, the referral unit for the South West London region, but also cares for women with low risk pregnancies.
Prof. Khalil gained her MD at the University of London in 2009 following two years’ research into pre-eclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnancy). She also has a Masters degree in Epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and an MRC scholarship. She has published more than 45 peer reviewed research papers in medical journals, and many review articles and book chapters. She has been awarded many research prizes, at both national and international meetings.
Her research interests include hypertensive disease in pregnancy, multiple pregnancy, and other complications of pregnancy.
You can follow her on twitter @ProfAsmaKhalil
Notable publications: She has published more than 45 peer reviewed research papers in medical journals, and many review articles and book chapters. Read more.
Country: UK
Field: Obstetrics; Fetal Medicine
Specialties: Fetal anomaly screening T1 & T2; fetal biometry and wellbeing; aneuploidies; fetal anomalies; fetal growth restriction; maternal and fetal Doppler; multiple pregnancy; preeclampsia; prenatal diagnosis; fetal therapy; interventional procedures during pregnancy.
Languages: English; Arabic
"I am committed to supporting ISUOG’s membership growth and providing educational opportunities in underrepresented regions of the world. I have contributed to the Society’s scientific program, speaking at their Intensive education courses and even running two Approved courses of my own, which have become popular in their own right. One of these courses takes place in Egypt, the other in the UK, where there is a shortage in opportunities for basic training in the field. Through these initiatives I have introduced more than 70 new members to the Society in the last year alone and strive to continue delivering ISUOG’s resources in areas where there is most in need."