What thresholds should be considered when considering planned early birth for women with pre-eclampsia?
Thresholds for considering planned early birth in women with pre-eclampsia could include (but are not limited to) any of the following known features of severe pre-eclampsia: inability to control maternal blood pressure despite using 3 or more classes of antihypertensives in appropriate doses; maternal pulse oximetry less than 90%; progressive deterioration in liver function, renal function, haemolysis, or platelet count; ongoing neurological features, such as severe intractable headache, repeated visual scotomata, or eclampsia; placental abruption; reversed end-diastolic flow in the umbilical artery doppler velocimetry; a non-reassuring cardiotocograph; or stillbirth. Other features not listed above may also be considered in the decision to plan early birth.