Pregnancy

NICE Pathways

Interactive topic-based flowcharts that allow you to navigate our recommendations on any subject.  Find out more about NICE Pathways.

• Antenatal and postnatal mental health

• Antenatal care for uncomplicated pregnancies

• Diabetes in pregnancy

• Diet

• Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage

• Hypertension in pregnancy

• Induction of labour

• Maternal and child nutrition

• Multiple pregnancy

• Obesity: working with local communities

• Physical activity

• Postnatal care

• Pregnancy and complex social factors: service provision

• Preterm labour and birth

• Smoking

• Smoking cessation in secondary care

NICE guidelines

Review the evidence across broad health and social care topics. 

• Antenatal and postnatal mental health: clinical management and service guidance (CG192)

  Updated

  Yes

  Id:

  CG192

  Published date:

  December 2014

  Last updated:

  April 2018

• Antenatal care for uncomplicated pregnancies (CG62)

  Id:

  CG62

  Published date:

  March 2008

• Diabetes in pregnancy: management from preconception to the postnatal period (NG3)

  Id:

  NG3

  Published date:

  February 2015

• Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage: diagnosis and initial management (CG154)

  Id:

  CG154

  Published date:

  December 2012

• Hypertension in pregnancy: diagnosis and management (CG107)

  Id:

  CG107

  Published date:

  August 2010

• Maternal and child nutrition (PH11)

  Id:

  PH11

  Published date:

  March 2008

• Multiple pregnancy: antenatal care for twin and triplet pregnancies (CG129)

  Id:

  CG129

  Published date:

  September 2011

• Pregnancy and complex social factors: a model for service provision for pregnant women with complex social factors (CG110)

  Id:

  CG110

  Published date:

  September 2010

• Preterm labour and birth (NG25)

  Id:

  NG25

  Published date:

  November 2015

• Smoking: acute, maternity and mental health services (PH48)

  Id:

  PH48

  Published date:

  November 2013

• Smoking: stopping in pregnancy and after childbirth (PH26)

  Id:

  PH26

  Published date:

  June 2010

• Weight management before, during and after pregnancy (PH27)

  Id:

  PH27

  Published date:

  July 2010

Quality standards

Set out priority areas for quality improvement in health and social care. 

• Antenatal and postnatal mental health (QS115)

  Id:

  QS115

  Published date:

  February 2016

• Antenatal care (QS22)

  Id:

  QS22

  Published date:

  September 2012

• Caesarean section (QS32)

  Id:

  QS32

  Published date:

  June 2013

• Diabetes in pregnancy (QS109)

  Id:

  QS109

  Published date:

  January 2016

• Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage (QS69)

  Id:

  QS69

  Published date:

  September 2014

• Hypertension in pregnancy (QS35)

  Id:

  QS35

  Published date:

  July 2013

• Maternal and child nutrition (QS98)

  Id:

  QS98

  Published date:

  July 2015

• Multiple pregnancy: twin and triplet pregnancies (QS46)

  Id:

  QS46

  Published date:

  September 2013

• Preterm labour and birth (QS135)

  Id:

  QS135

  Published date:

  October 2016

Technology appraisal guidance

Review clinical and cost effectiveness of new treatments.

• Routine antenatal anti-D prophylaxis for women who are rhesus D negative (TA156)

  Id:

  TA156

  Published date:

  August 2008

Diagnostics guidance

Review new diagnostic technologies for adoption in the NHS.

• Biomarker tests to help diagnose preterm labour in women with intact membranes (DG33)

  New

  Yes

  Id:

  DG33

  Published date:

  July 2018

• High-throughput non-invasive prenatal testing for fetal RHD genotype (DG25)

  Id:

  DG25

  Published date:

  November 2016

• PlGF-based testing to help diagnose suspected pre-eclampsia (Triage PlGF test, Elecsys immunoassay sFlt-1/PlGF ratio, DELFIA Xpress PlGF 1-2-3 test, and BRAHMS sFlt-1 Kryptor/BRAHMS PlGF plus Kryptor PE ratio) (DG23)

  Id:

  DG23

  Published date:

  May 2016

Interventional procedures guidance

Assessments of whether procedures are safe enough and work well enough for wider use in the NHS. 

• Fetal cystoscopy for the diagnosis and treatment of lower urinary outflow tract obstruction (IPG205)

  Id:

  IPG205

  Published date:

  January 2007

• Fetal vesico–amniotic shunt for lower urinary tract outflow obstruction (IPG202)

  Id:

  IPG202

  Published date:

  December 2006

• Hysteroscopic metroplasty of a uterine septum for recurrent miscarriage (IPG510)

  Id:

  IPG510

  Published date:

  January 2015

• Insertion of a double balloon catheter for induction of labour in pregnant women without previous caesarean section (IPG528)

  Id:

  IPG528

  Published date:

  July 2015

• Insertion of pleuro–amniotic shunt for fetal pleural effusion (IPG190)

  Id:

  IPG190

  Published date:

  September 2006

• Intrauterine laser ablation of placental vessels for the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (IPG198)

  Id:

  IPG198

  Published date:

  December 2006

• Laparoscopic cerclage for prevention of recurrent pregnancy loss due to cervical incompetence (IPG228)

  Id:

  IPG228

  Published date:

  August 2007

• Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty for fetal critical aortic stenosis (IPG613)

  New

  Yes

  Id:

  IPG613

  Published date:

  May 2018

• Percutaneous fetal balloon valvuloplasty for pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum (IPG176)

  Id:

  IPG176

  Published date:

  May 2006

• Percutaneous laser therapy for fetal tumours (IPG180)

  Id:

  IPG180

  Published date:

  June 2006

• Septostomy with or without amnioreduction for the treatment of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (IPG199)

  Id:

  IPG199

  Published date:

  December 2006

• Therapeutic amnioinfusion for oligohydramnios during pregnancy (excluding labour) (IPG192)

  Id:

  IPG192

  Published date:

  November 2006

Medical technologies guidance

Review new medical devices for adoption in the NHS.

• Vision Amniotic Leak Detector to assess unexplained vaginal wetness in pregnancy (MTG15)

  Id:

  MTG15

  Published date:

  July 2013

Evidence summaries

Review the best available evidence for selected medicines.

• Induction of labour in late intrauterine fetal death: vaginal misoprostol (after oral mifepristone) (ESUOM11)

  Id:

  ESUOM11

  Published date:

  April 2013

Medtech innovation briefings

Review the evidence and likely costs of medical devices and technologies.

• Health app: GDm-Health for people with gestational diabetes (MIB131)

  Id:

  MIB131

  Published date:

  November 2017

In development

• Antenatal care for uncomplicated pregnancies update

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  July 2020

• Caesarean section (Update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  October 2019

• Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage: diagnosis and initial management (Update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  April 2019

• Hypertension in pregnancy: diagnosis and management (Update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  March 2019

• Laparoscopic cerclage for cervical incompetence to prevent late miscarriage or preterm birth

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  Interventional procedures guidance

  Expected publication date:

  TBC

• Maternal Health

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  Quality standard

  Expected publication date:

  TBC

• Preterm labour and birth (update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  March 2020

• Termination of pregnancy

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  September 2019

• Twin and triplet pregnancy (update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  May 2019

New guidance and advice

Guidance and advice added since January 2018

• Antenatal care for uncomplicated pregnancies update

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  July 2020

  Status:

  In development

• Biomarker tests to help diagnose preterm labour in women with intact membranes (DG33)

  New

  Yes

  Id:

  DG33

  Programme:

  Diagnostics guidance

  Published date:

  July 2018

• Caesarean section (Update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  October 2019

  Status:

  In development

• Ectopic pregnancy and miscarriage: diagnosis and initial management (Update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  April 2019

  Status:

  In development

• Hypertension in pregnancy: diagnosis and management (Update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  March 2019

  Status:

  In development

• Laparoscopic cerclage for cervical incompetence to prevent late miscarriage or preterm birth

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  Interventional procedures guidance

  Expected publication date:

  TBC

  Status:

  In development

• Maternal Health

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  Quality standard

  Expected publication date:

  TBC

  Status:

  In development

• Percutaneous balloon valvuloplasty for fetal critical aortic stenosis (IPG613)

  New

  Yes

  Id:

  IPG613

  Programme:

  Interventional procedures guidance

  Published date:

  May 2018

• Preterm labour and birth (update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  March 2020

  Status:

  In development

• Termination of pregnancy

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  September 2019

  Status:

  In development

• Twin and triplet pregnancy (update)

  New

  Yes

  Programme:

  NICE guideline

  Expected publication date:

  May 2019

  Status:

  In development

Updated guidance and advice

Guidance and advice updated since January 2018

• Antenatal and postnatal mental health: clinical management and service guidance (CG192)

  Updated

  Yes

  Id:

  CG192

  Programme:

  Clinical guideline

  Published date:

  December 2014

  Last updated:

  April 2018