A new blood test could reveal major pregnancy complications

    A new blood test could reveal major pregnancy complications

    It is an innovative blood test that allows to analyze the chemical "messages" exchanged between the mother and the fetus

    Don't store avocado like this: it's dangerous

    It is an innovative blood test that allows to analyze the chemical "messages" exchanged between the mother and the fetus through the placenta.





    A new, innovative blood test to be carried out during pregnancy is being studied which would make it possible to discover well in advance the possibilities of the new mother to develop preeclampsia - a severe form of hypertension, sometimes accompanied by the presence of an excess of protein in the urine. Preeclampsia affects about one in twenty women starting from the twentieth week of gestation (third trimester) and can have serious consequences for both the new mother and the unborn child: damage to internal organs, stroke and premature birth are among the best known effects, which not infrequently they can also lead to the death of the mother.

    For now, this is only a pilot study under development and further studies and trials will be needed for this test to be effectively effective - however, it is an important first step in safeguarding the health of mothers and babies. In fact, diagnosing preeclampsia only after the onset of the first symptoms leaves doctors very little time to effectively treat the disorder, and the expectation of recovery for the mother is very low. Currently the diagnosis is made by looking for the presence of proteins in the urine, the measurement of blood pressure and other specific tests that do nothing but note already evident symptoms of the disease. In addition to the intake of specific drugs for hypertension, medical treatment includes absolute rest and, ultimately, the induction of labor with the consequent premature birth of the child.

    (Read also: Here comes the eco-friendly, plastic-free, biodegradable and discreet pregnancy test that you can throw in the toilet)

    The new blood test would be capable of analyze the chemical messages that exist between the mother and the fetus, allowing for early diagnosis of the disorder - as early as the sixteenth week of gestation, well before symptoms begin to manifest. The study analyzed RNA in 2.539 blood samples from 1.840 women from the United States, Europe and Africa to better understand the behavior of this chemical "messenger". The RNA models analyzed then became models thanks to artificial intelligence and the results were fairly encouraging: among the women who had been diagnosed with the disorder in advance, this actually occurred in 75% of cases (this means that it remains in any case a margin of error in the test, i.e. a good number of women who had been diagnosed with preeclampsia but who then did not manifest the disorder).



    It is not yet known when this test will be available to the public, but scientists hope to be able to launch it on the market by the end of this year. early diagnosis of preeclampsia would allow gynecologists who treat new mothers to making simple changes to their patients' treatment plans before the disorder becomes more severe.

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    Source: Nature

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