Preeclampsia is a serious complication that can affect the health of mothers and babies in the second half of pregnancy. The Initial Maternity Assessment and Planning Service (IMAP) was introduced so that specialist pregnancy assessments and care plans could be delivered as part of routine public maternity services in the first trimester of pregnancy.
IMAP includes the Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) preeclampsia screening algorithm that combines information about a woman's medical history with ultrasound, blood parameters, and blood test results. This identifies those more at risk of developing preeclampsia much later in the pregnancy. Where risk is identified, preventative medications can be started early in pregnancy to reduce the chance of significant complications for mum and baby.
Since IMAP was introduced, the average timing of a first specialist pregnancy assessment fell from 20 weeks to 12 weeks of pregnancy. Preeclampsia screening rates increased from 3% to 64%, and the use of preventative aspirin in high-risk pregnancies increased from 23% to 98%. These improvements were associated with a 49% reduction in the likelihood of preterm preeclampsia, leading to better outcomes for mothers and babies.
