2.1. Study Design and Sample
Pre-eclampsia
PRE-ECLAMPSIA, PREGNANCY LOSS
This study was nested within the ASPRE (Aspirin for Evidence-Based Pre-eclampsia Prevention) trial; the study inclusion criteria and procedure were published previously [The current study was conducted in the UK in two ASPRE-trial-participating hospitals. The only departure from the described ASPRE trial study inclusion criteria [Consecutive pregnant women (n = 585) attending their 11–14 weeks ultrasound appointment at a London hospital participating in the ASPRE trial were offered the opportunity to be screened for preterm-PE risk status and those with the high-risk status were invited to participate in the trial and in the psychological study. Out of 585 women, 225 (38.4%) completed the first study questionnaire; following the exclusion of women (n = 6) who did not meet the study inclusion criteria (e.g., twin pregnancies or pregnancy loss diagnosed during ultrasound examination), 197 (87.2%) were identified as low risk for preterm PE, and 28 (12.8%) were identified as high risk for preterm PE. Because of the few high-risk cases in the recruited sample, additional high-risk women were recruited from another ASPRE-trial-participating hospital in London (N = 54), who completed questionnaires in the second trimester. Out of the 197 questionnaires completed by the low-risk women before screening, 155 were returned in the second trimester; the total number of returned questionnaires by the high-risk group was 82 (