Predicting Pre-Term Delivery
Reported March 14, 2005
AUSTIN, Texas (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) — Each year, about 13 percent of pregnant women in the United States will go into premature labor. This often happens without warning. But a simple test could tell women their chances of having a pre-term delivery. Monica Burcham has her hands full. But she wouldn’t have it any other way. She says, “I’ve always said I would have 10 if I could.” But having even one more was risky. Monica’s last baby was born premature, so when she became pregnant with Abby, doctors kept a careful eye on her. “It’s a very helpless feeling when you go into pre-term labor, and them telling you that you have no control,” she says. This time, a simple test gave Monica control. Perinatologist David Berry, M.D., says, “Fetal fibronectin is a test that is used to give us an idea of whether a patient is at high-risk or low-risk for pre-term delivery.” The test measures a protein that holds the baby in place during development. Dr. Berry says it’s much like a Pap smear. He uses a simple swab to obtain a sample. That sample is processed in about an hour. If the result is negative, patients have a less than one percent chance of delivering prematurely in the next two weeks. If it’s positive, doctors can take action. “We will bring her to the hospital many times. We will certainly give her steroid shots to help accelerate the maturity of the baby,” Dr. Berry, of Austin Perinatal Associates in Texas, tells Ivanhoe. The test is used on women who are at high-risk for pre-term delivery. Jennifer Faulkner has a genetic risk factor. “What a great option and a great way to alleviate any anxiety,” she says. The test worked for her. It came back negative, and she’s still very much pregnant It also worked for Monica. Abby was born healthy, full-term and happy. Monica says, “Through that test we were able to have the confidence to have her because, otherwise, I don’t think we would have gone through with it.” The fetal fibronectin test (fFN) is about 97-percent accurate and can be given throughout a woman’s pregnancy — starting at 24 weeks. Dr. Berry says the only problem with giving the test is a false-positive result, but he says those are unusual. The test is FDA approved and is covered by most insurance companies.
If you would like more information, please contact:
Jon Kidahara
Adeza Biomedical
(888) 567-3817 ext. 171
http://www.adeza.com
