Inaugural address delivered on 17 June 2010.
CONCLUSION OF LECTURE: Early-onset severe pre-eclampsia is not uncommon
and can be a devastating complication of pregnancy.
Under carefully controlled circumstances, however,
expectant management is sufficiently safe for the
mother and provides important perinatal benefits, with
almost half of such cases qualifying for this approach.
The recommendations from the Stellenbosch/Tygerberg group have been widely applied. Preventing spontaneous preterm birth and its consequences remains a
priority that has been difficult to achieve. There is evidence, however, that women with one or more preterm deliveries and a short cervix may benefit from
prophylactic progesterone. Finally, a damaged uterine
cervix and/or recurrent mid-trimester losses do not
preclude the chance of a successful advanced pregnancy, which can be achieved with the aid of a TAC.
