Simple blood tests identify pregnant women at risk of serious complications from high blood pressure in Sierra Leone

Two simple blood tests could help to predict which pregnant women with high blood pressure are at risk of serious complications, including seizures, stillbirth and newborn death, a new study conducted in Sierra Leone has found.

The study is the first to show how such tests, which are simple to perform and give results within 30 minutes, could help to improve safety for mothers and babies in pregnancies affected by high blood pressure in settings where maternity and neonatal care resources are limited.

Led by King’s College London in collaboration with the Princess Christian Maternity Hospital in Sierra Leone and published in Hypertension, the study included 488 pregnant women admitted to hospital with suspected pre-eclampsia – a pregnancy condition that causes high blood pressure and protein in the urine, and can lead to life-threatening complications for mother and baby.

“The tests were very good at ruling out serious problems when results were normal, meaning these women were unlikely to have life-threatening complications. Abnormal test results identified women at higher risk who may need closer monitoring or earlier delivery of the baby,” says Dr Katy Kuhrt, Clinical Research Fellow and Registrar in Obstetrics and Gynaecology at the Department of Women & Children’s Health at King’s and lead author of the study.

"Our study shows that simple, bedside blood tests could help doctors decide which women need urgent care, improving safety for mothers and babies in pregnancies affected by high blood pressure."

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Source: King's College London, 18 September 2025