Preeclampsia: Origin, Characteristics and Effects on Mother and Baby

Conditions studied

Preeclampsia (PE), Pregnancy

About this study

Preeclampsia (PE) is a serious pregnancy complication characterized by new-onset hypertension and signs of maternal organ dysfunction, often accompanied by placental abnormalities and systemic endothelial dysfunction. PE is associated with adverse maternal and perinatal outcomes and confers an increased long-term risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease for both mother and offspring. This prospective observational cohort study aims to establish a longitudinal pregnancy and birth cohort of women diagnosed with preeclampsia. Pregnant women with a clinical diagnosis of PE according to current obstetric guidelines will be recruited at their initial presentation either in the in- or outpatient clinic or in the delivery ward, respectively and followed through late pregnancy, delivery, and early postpartum. Participants will undergo study visits during pregnancy, sample collection at delivery, and a postpartum visit 8-12 weeks after birth. Clinical data, physical measurements, questionnaire-based information, and biological samples will be collected from mothers and infants to enable comprehensive phenotyping of pregnancies complicated by preeclampsia. Data and biosamples from this cohort will be used for descriptive and hypothesis-driven analyses and may be compared with data from an existing longitudinal cohort of healthy pregnancies to support interpretation of preeclampsia-associated biological and clinical changes.

Primary outcomes

• Maternal metabolic and cardiometabolic phenotype: hemodynamic assessments 1 (From study enrollment after PE diagnosis through 8-12 weeks postpartum)
• Maternal metabolic and cardiometabolic phenotype: Adiposity (From study enrollment after PE diagnosis through 8-12 weeks postpartum)
• Maternal metabolic and cardiometabolic phenotype: hemodynamic assessments 2 (from study enrollment after PE diagnosis through 8-12 weeks postpartum)
• Maternal metabolic and cardiometabolic phenotype: Cytokine Profile (From study enrollment after PE diagnosis through 8-12 weeks postpartum)
• Maternal metabolic and cardiometabolic phenotype: Lipid profile (From study enrollment after PE diagnosis through 8-12 weeks postpartum)
• Maternal metabolic and cardiometabolic phenotype: hemodynamic assessments 3 (From study enrollment after PE diagnosis through 8-12 weeks postpartum)
• Maternal metabolic and cardiometabolic phenotype: Echocardiography (From study enrollment after PE diagnosis through 8-12 weeks postpartum)
• Infant outcomes: hemodynamic assessment (At birth and at 8-12 weeks postpartum)

Eligibility information

Study locations

• Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, 8036 Austria