Blood test can identify birth date and likelihood of premature birth

New blood test could prevent many deaths from premature birth

Scientists have now developed a cost-effective blood test to predict the due date of a pregnant woman. This test should then also determine the likelihood of premature birth. This could save the lives of thousands of premature babies.

Stanford University scientists have developed a new blood test in their current research that can determine the date of birth and the risk of preterm birth in pregnant women. The physicians published the results of their study in the English language journal "Science".

Many mothers are afraid of a premature birth and its consequences. A new blood test can determine the due date and the likelihood of premature birth in pregnant women. (Image: Rido / fotolia.com)

How accurate was the test?

The test, which detects changes in blood circulating RNA in pregnant women, estimated the due date for the next two weeks in almost half of the cases very accurately. This was as accurate as the currently used method for determining the due date (ultrasound) and more accurate than calculating the date based on the woman's last menstruation, the experts explain.

Test could prevent caesarean births

With a similar analysis of RNA in the blood of eight women who experienced premature birth, the researchers were able to classify six of the pregnancies as premature births correctly. If larger studies yield comparable results, the trial could become a tool to prevent unnecessary labor induction or caesarean delivery, explain the study's authors. It could also save the lives of babies who would have died because of their early birth. Premature birth is the leading cause of neonatal death in the United States, researchers add. Each year about 15 million babies are born prematurely worldwide.

RNA signals change as pregnancy progresses

In the study, the scientists studied under the direction of Dr. med. Mads Melbye from the Statens Serum Institute in Denmark collected the blood from 31 Danish women. In each week of pregnancy, a blood sample was taken and analyzed. The researchers studied genes associated with the placenta, the maternal immune system and the fetal liver, and found that nine of these genes produce RNA signals that change significantly as pregnancy progresses.

Forecasts were most reliable in the second and third trimesters

Dr. Quake, who also invented the first non-invasive prenatal blood test for Down syndrome, said that the relevant genes for gestational age are in the placenta and the predictions of the test in the second and third trimesters are most reliable.

Further larger studies are needed

The researchers used the test in two groups of women at risk of premature birth: pregnant women with premature contractions and patients who had already had a premature birth in a previous pregnancy. In analyzing the blood of some premature birth women, the team identified seven other genes that influence preterm birth. Dr. According to Quake, the team is now developing plans for a large clinical trial of the general population.

Blood test can probably not replace ultrasound

The study shows that there are molecular milestones reached by the fetus and placenta that can be detected with a blood test. While the blood test will not replace ultrasound scans because such an investigation provides other important information, it may become a reliable tool for identifying high-risk pregnancies, the researchers emphasize. (As)