What's new in maternal-fetal medicine: September 11, 2026
| Area | Evidence | Clinical relevance | Perinatology.com impact |
|---|
| Pregestational diabetes↓ |
Revised SMFM antepartum care checklist replaces the 2020 version. |
USE NOW |
Review diabetes resources against the revised checklist. |
| Monochorionic twins↓ |
Updated SMFM MCDA and MCMA management checklists. |
REVIEW WORKFLOW |
Relevant to twin surveillance, FGR, MCA PSV, and Doppler tools. |
| Preeclampsia prevention↓ |
Updated SMFM aspirin risk-factor screening checklists. |
USE NOW |
Review aspirin clinician and patient resources. |
| Penicillin allergy↓ |
SMFM quality-improvement statement on assessment and testing. |
REVIEW WORKFLOW |
No calculator change; useful for obstetric practice protocols. |
| Preeclampsia phenotypes↓ |
Prospective cohort study using unsupervised machine learning. |
WATCHING |
No change to current diagnostic or delivery guidance. |
These items warrant action now or a review of existing clinical workflows because they come from updated SMFM statements or checklists.
SMFM Special Statement · Pregestational diabetes
Revised antepartum checklist for type 1 and type 2 diabetes
USE NOW
What changed
SMFM published a revised 2026 checklist for antepartum care of pregestational diabetes. It replaces the 2020 checklist.
Why it matters
The checklist is intended to help integrate recommended diabetes care across pregnancy and reduce missed steps in a complex care pathway.
What to do now: Compare office and hospital protocols with the revised checklist and update standing workflows where needed.
Related Perinatology.com resources
SMFM Special Statement · Monochorionic twins
Updated management checklists for MCDA and MCMA twin pregnancy
REVIEW WORKFLOW
What changed
SMFM released updated management checklists for monochorionic diamniotic and monochorionic monoamniotic pregnancies, replacing the 2020 versions.
Why it matters
SMFM states that the updated checklists reflect recent changes in practice recommendations and include suggestions for implementation.
What to do now: Compare local MCDA and MCMA surveillance pathways with the updated checklists, including ultrasound timing, complication surveillance, and referral processes.
Related Perinatology.com resources
SMFM Special Statement · Preeclampsia prevention
Updated aspirin risk-factor screening checklists
USE NOW
What changed
SMFM updated its preeclampsia risk-factor screening checklists for prophylactic low-dose aspirin. The new version incorporates recommendations issued after the 2020 checklist.
Why it matters
Structured screening can reduce the chance that an eligible patient is missed when aspirin candidacy is assessed early in pregnancy.
What to do now: Consider incorporating the updated checklist into the first prenatal or high-risk intake workflow rather than relying on recall of individual risk factors.
Related Perinatology.com resources
SMFM Special Statement · Antibiotic stewardship
Assessment and management of reported penicillin allergy in pregnancy
REVIEW WORKFLOW
What changed
SMFM published an implementation-focused statement describing how obstetric practices can develop a pregnancy-appropriate penicillin allergy testing program.
Why it matters
SMFM notes that many pregnant patients who report penicillin allergy are not truly allergic. Clarifying allergy status can improve access to first-line beta-lactam antibiotics and antibiotic stewardship.
What to do now: Identify reported penicillin allergy early in prenatal care and consider whether your practice or health system has a pathway for appropriate evaluation and testing.
Perinatology.com impact
No calculator change identified; this update is most relevant to practice protocols and patient-safety workflows.
Prospective cohort study · Preeclampsia
Machine learning identifies clinically distinct preeclampsia phenotypes
WATCHING
What the study did
A prospective cohort of 482 patients with preeclampsia used unsupervised machine-learning methods to identify data-driven clinical phenotypes.
Why it is interesting
Preeclampsia is heterogeneous. Better phenotyping may eventually improve risk stratification, prognosis, or treatment selection if the findings are validated and shown to improve clinical outcomes.
What to do now: No change to current diagnostic criteria, surveillance, or delivery timing based on this study alone. Follow validation and outcome studies.
Related Perinatology.com resource
Clinical disclaimer: This material is for professional education and does not replace clinical judgment, institutional policy, or individualized patient care. Clinicians should review the original source before changing management.
