Giving birth prematurely can lead to many serious health complications for a baby, which is why this latest development is sure to be welcomed around the world.
Researchers have reportedly developed a blood test that could help reduce the number of premature births among pregnant women.
A team from universities in Australia and North America developed the ‘breakthrough’ test, which is said to be able to identify if the mum-to-be is at risk of giving birth prematurely.
The test, which has been hailed as the most accurate one available in the world, was developed during a study of 2,000 women in Canada; it produced an 86% accuracy rate.
Researchers explained that the test requires taking a simple blood sample and studying the pattern of six out of 21,000 genes; these results are then combined with findings made using the woman’s clinical information.
Further experiments using the test will determine whether or not the test is to be rolled out worldwide. If it is, the test would become a part of a scan carried out at 18 to 20 weeks into the pregnancy.
As for the significance of the test, researchers believe that it could result in at-risk mums-to-be receiving specialist care to help reduce the risk of early birth and, subsequently, the development of certain conditions in the child.
