Researchers Develop Blood Test That “Provides Earliest Detection of Premature Birth”

Researchers in Australia and northern America have reportedly developed a blood test that identifies pregnant women who are at risk of having a premature birth. According to ABC, experts are claiming that it is “the most accurate test available in the world to date and provides the earliest detection of premature birth.” The team – made up of staff members from the University of Western Australia, the University of Toronto, the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary – apparently recorded an 86 per cent accuracy rate with the test in 2,000 "multi-ethnic, low risk Canadian women". Craig Pennell, an Associate Professor from the University of Western Australia, told ABC that one million of the 15 million babies born prematurely each year do not survive and thousands have a disability related to preterm birth. He explained:

"We've identified six genes out of the 21,000 that exist and based on the pattern of those genes being turned off or on, when you couple that with clinical information it appears very effective at predicting preterm birth."

The importance of determining whether a woman is at risk of having a premature birth is that specialist care can be put in place to reduce the rate of it. Further trials using the blood test, which is considered a major breakthrough in this field, is now needed.