Noninvasive blood tests for fetal development predict gestational age and preterm delivery

TLDR

Low‑cost fetal monitoring could improve prenatal care, especially in low‑resource settings. The study aims to evaluate the tests’ reliability in large, blinded clinical trials. The authors developed two noninvasive blood tests that measure placental RNA transcripts in maternal blood to monitor pregnancy progression. In a small proof‑of‑concept study, the first test predicted fetal age and delivery date with ultrasound‑level accuracy, while the second test distinguished women at risk of preterm delivery from those who delivered at term. Published in Science, p.

Abstract

Toward more predictable birthdays Low-cost methods for monitoring fetal development could improve prenatal care, especially in low-resource settings. By measuring the levels of certain placental RNA transcripts in maternal blood, Ngo et al. developed two noninvasive blood tests that provide a window into the progression of individual pregnancies. In a small proof-of-concept study, the first blood test predicted fetal age and delivery date with an accuracy comparable to that of ultrasound. The second blood test, also examined in a small pilot study, discriminated women at risk of preterm delivery from those who delivered at full term. The next step will be to assess the reliability of the tests in large, blinded clinical trials. Science , this issue p. 1133