Blood tests can predict pregnant women giving birth prematurely

Researchers in the US and Denmark have found low-cost blood tests that can accurately predict 80% of pregnant women. The results of this study are published in the journal Science on June 7.

This method can accurately predict up to 80% of women who are capable of preterm birth.

To develop the method, the researchers took blood samples from 31 Danish women to identify genes for reliable signs of gestational age and risk of preterm birth. This method measures the activity of fetal, placental and maternal genes, assesses the levels of RNAs - information molecules that play a biological role in gene translation, regulation and expression. Accordingly, the researchers found a number of genes that show that women are at risk of preterm birth. Besides, the above method can be used to calculate the birth date and gestational age with high reliability but lower cost than the ultrasound method.

According to the study author Mads Melbye, the result is the first important scientific advance in this field after a long period of research. In the world, some tests have been conducted to predict preterm birth, but only for women at high risk and accuracy is only about 20%.

However, the research team said it is still necessary to conduct further research to identify specific gene sequences and genes, thereby finding some of the major causes of premature birth, as well as timely intervention. The results of this study after being applied massively will bring a simple and economical measure to apply in areas with difficult economic conditions.

Preterm birth is the leading cause of infant mortality from birth to 5 years. Every year the world has 15 million premature births.