New blood test method can predict preterm birth
Release date: 2018-06-13 According to EurekAlert!, a scientific and technological news sharing platform of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), a team of scientists led by researchers at Stanford University in the United States has developed a new blood test method that can help reduce problems associated with preterm birth. Premature birth affects the lives of 15 million babies worldwide each year. In the United States, for example, premature births affecting 9% of newborns in the United States three weeks ahead of schedule are the biggest cause of child deaths worldwide and the biggest cause of death among children under five. In two-thirds of preterm births, pregnant women naturally “start†production, and doctors don’t know why. The best testing tools available to predict preterm birth are only available to high-risk women with an accuracy rate of only 20%. Obstetricians use ultrasound for the first 3 months of pregnancy to estimate the expected date of delivery, which requires expensive ultrasound equipment and trained technicians, and is not practical in many developing countries. In contrast, the new method of blood testing in this study is simple and inexpensive. Researchers believe that doctors need better ways to measure gestational age. They developed this new blood test tool by studying blood models taken by 31 Danish women throughout pregnancy. The model identifies nine cell-free RNAs produced by the placenta and uses this to predict gestational age. Cell-free RNA in the mother's blood can provide a wealth of new information about fetal growth, telling us a lot about the characteristics of human development during normal pregnancy. They also studied blood samples from 38 American women at risk of preterm birth. Seven cell-free RNA levels from these women and their placenta predicted preterm birth, with predictive power comparable to ultrasound. Now, scientists need to validate this new predictive tool in a larger group of pregnant women before they can be widely used in the clinic. The biological mechanisms behind premature birth remain a mystery. Scientists plan to investigate the role of premature gene signaling and hope to find drug targets that may delay preterm birth. Source: Technology Daily Hair Growth Support Mints,Hair Growth Mints,Support Mints Hair Growth,Best Hair Growth Support Mints Soar Biotech Co.,Ltd , https://www.xylitgum.com