A new peer-reviewed publication from Indonesia has been featured in the prestigious Journal of Perinatology (Q1, 2025), titled “Comparison of First Trimester Preeclampsia Combined Screening Performances with Various Approaches in the Indonesian Population.” This study marks a significant step forward in improving early detection of preeclampsia (PE), a life-threatening pregnancy complication, in the Indonesian context.
The research compared three models used to predict preeclampsia in the first trimester of pregnancy:
- Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF) model, an international gold standard.
- Indonesia’s Maternal and Child Health Handbook (MCH-HB) model, widely used in public health programs.
- Indonesian Prenatal Institute (IPI) model, a newer model developed based on local data and conditions.
These models use a combination of maternal risk factors, ultrasound results, and blood test markers to estimate a woman’s risk of developing preeclampsia.
At the same false-positive rate of 10% (meaning 10 in 100 women might be falsely flagged as at-risk), the ability to correctly detect preeclampsia (called the detection rate) varied among the models.
Here’s what the study found:
- For all types of preeclampsia, the IPI model detected nearly 67% of cases, slightly better than the FMF model (63%) and significantly better than the MCH-HB model (50%).
- For early-onset preeclampsia (before 34 weeks), which is usually more severe, both the IPI and FMF models performed very well, with detection rates over 80%, while the MCH-HB model detected about 71%.
- For preterm preeclampsia (before 37 weeks), FMF and IPI models both performed far better than MCH-HB.
The findings are encouraging for Indonesia’s maternal health system. They show that a locally developed model (IPI) can perform as well as international standards, and significantly better than currently used national guidelines in predicting preeclampsia.
Early detection through first-trimester screening gives healthcare providers a critical window of opportunity to begin preventive treatments, such as low-dose aspirin, that can save mothers’ and babies’ lives.
This study underscores the importance of investing in evidence-based, locally validated tools. With continued research and wider implementation of effective screening strategies, Indonesia has the potential to dramatically reduce maternal and perinatal complications related to preeclampsia.
The publication not only adds to the global body of knowledge but also represents Indonesia’s growing contribution to innovation in pre-eclampsia screening.
