All pregnant individuals should have their blood pressure checked during every single prenatal visit, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now recommends.
The new guidelines suggest that even individuals who have no history of a hypertensive disorder should still undergo the routine checks leading up to pregnancy to help prevent or sooner identify any complications that may arise later, according to a Sept. 19 news release.
"The Task Force continues to find that measuring blood pressure at each prenatal visit is an effective way to screen for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy," Esa Davis, MD, a member of the task force said in the release. "Because these conditions can cause serious health issues, screening is an important way to keep pregnant people and their babies healthy."