Test may detect premature labour

Tuesday December 8th, 2009

A new test may help settle whether a pregnant woman is at risk of going into early labour, British researchers report today.

A "relatively cheap and easy" test for a single chemical can predict whether a woman is facing giving birth prematurely within the next fortnight with a high degree of accuracy, a conference is to be told.

Researchers from University College London said the test could spare many pregnant women from having to spend time in hospital after developing pains before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

The test identifies a protein called fetal fibronectin - or fFN - which may leak when a pregnancy is going askew.

Results of a trial involving some 94 women are to be reported to the scientific conference of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in Abu Dhabi.

The test identified 78 of these as not being likely to go into premature labour in the following two weeks - and was wrong in just one case, the conference was told. Doctors admitted seven of the women for treatment of their pain - enabling the others to return home.

Obstetrician Dr Anna David said: "Threatened preterm labour often causes much anxiety for pregnant women. Doctors are working hard to uncover the causes of preterm birth and to develop preventive treatments.

"In the meantime, the fetal fibronectin test has been found to be very accurate at predicting those women who will not imminently deliver.? Women with a negative test can be reassured that they do not need inpatient care.

"They can therefore avoid leaving their families for observation in a hospital, though a few may need admission for pain relief. More importantly, unnecessary drug interventions can be prevented which could translate into significant cost savings to the NHS."

Tags: Childbirth and Pregnancy | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology

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