To the Editor: Murray et al recently suggested that after an initial screening urinalysis, routine urinalysis could be eliminated from antenatal care without adverse outcomes for women.1 Their conclusions are based on a prospective observational study of 1000 women, 26 of whom developed pre-eclampsia, with 6/24 (25%) developing new proteinuria before the onset of hypertension. We have concerns about the authors' claims, which, we believe, are not justified by their findings.
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Correspondence:
- 1. Murray N, Homer CSE, Davis GK, et al. The clinical utility of routine urinalysis in pregnancy: a prospective study. Med J Aust 2002; 177: 477-480. <eMJA full text>
- 2. Brown MA, Hague WM, Higgins J, et al. The detection, investigation and management of hypertension in pregnancy: full consensus statement. Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol 2000; 40: 139-155.
- 3. The Department of Health. Why mothers die: report on confidential inquiries into maternal deaths in the United Kingdom 1994-1996. London: HMSO, 1998.
- 4. Murphy DJ, Stirrat GM. Mortality and morbidity associated with early onset pre-eclampsia. Hypertens Pregnancy 2000; 19: 221-231.
- 5. Villar J, Carroli G, Khan-Neelofur D, et al. Patterns of routine antenatal care for low-risk pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2001; (4): CD000934.
- 6. Villar J, Ba'aqeel H, Piaggio G, et al. WHO antenatal care randomised trial for the evaluation of a new model of routine antenatal care. Lancet 2001; 357: 1551-1564.
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