A study to prevent pre-eclampsia and improve maternal and perinatal health outcomes is underway as part of a joint initiative between Griffith University and Gold Coast University Hospital (GCUH).
GCUH is the coordinating site for the OPTIMA study which involves pregnant women attending three visits at 11-14 weeks gestation, 20-22 weeks, and 35-37 weeks.
Professor Fabricio da Silva Costa from Griffith's School of Medicine and Dentistry and Maternal Fetal Medicine Director at Gold Coast Health, said each visit would involve clinicians running a series of tests.
"We'll review the patient's history, measure their blood pressure, perform an ultrasound scan and take a blood sample," Professor da Silva Costa said.
"At each visit, we'll assess the risk calculation of the patient developing pre-eclampsia."
PhD Candidate Dr Carman Wing Sze Lai, who is also a Maternal Fetal Medicine Specialist, said pre-eclampsia was a serious obstetrics complication which usually occurred after 20 weeks of gestation.
"Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition driven by placental dysfunction, leading to high blood pressure and damage to maternal organs such as the kidneys," she said.
"Without early identification and careful monitoring, it can threaten the health of both mother and baby."
According to the World Health Organisation, pre-eclampsia affects three to eight per cent of women globally.
Gold Coast Health Executive Director of Women, Newborns and Children Hazel Brittain said out of the approximate 5,000 births at GCUH each year, three percent of patients experienced pre-eclampsia.
"This study is all about early detection and intervention to support decreasing pre-term pre-eclampsia by around 60 per cent," Ms Brittain said.
"We can prescribe medication earlier and define the best time of delivery, reducing the number of unnecessary caesareans and inductions.
"Gold Coast University Hospital is proud to lead the study that will support more equitable outcomes for women of all socioeconomic backgrounds."
The OPTIMA study aimed to demonstrate that using the Fetal Medicine Foundation tool could reduce complications related to placental dysfunction.
This National Health and Medical Research Council‑funded, multi‑centre study involved seven major hospitals across several states.
