SOMANZ Hypertension in Pregnancy Guideline 2023

The SOMANZ Hypertension in Pregnancy Guideline 2023 represents a comprehensive update of the previous 2014 version and has been approved by the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) under section 14A of the National Health and Medical Research Council Act 1992, reflecting its alignment with NHMRC’s clinical practice guideline standards.

Developed with academic rigor, the guideline adheres to NHMRC’s Guideline for Guidelines and employs the ‘Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation’ (GRADE) approach. It encompasses thirty-nine recommendations across eight sections, addressing key aspects such as screening, prevention, diagnosis, and management of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy.

Updates based on the latest data include recommendations on combined first-trimester screening for identifying women at risk of preeclampsia and sixteen preventative interventions. The guideline also provides insights into the clinical utility of angiogenic biomarkers and guidance on the long-term care of women who have experienced a hypertensive disorder during pregnancy. To enhance accessibility, six multilingual patient infographics are included to assist health care professionals counsel their patients.

All measures were taken to ensure that this guideline is applicable and relevant to clinicians and multicultural women in regional and metropolitan settings in Australia and New Zealand.