According to the World Health Organization, one in 10 babies worldwide are born prematurely. Many of them requiring specialized attention in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) to continue growing and developing. September is NICU Awareness Month, founded in 2014 to acknowledge the unique needs of these tiny babies and the dedicated teams that support them. We recognize the incredible will to thrive and the passionate caregivers who commit their lives to caring for these families.
With each passing year, more and more sophisticated treatments are implemented and cutting edge discoveries are made in the realm of prematurity. But what if we could predict which pregnancies will end in premature birth?
For six years, a team of researchers at Stanford Medicine Children’s Health, and a large group of collaborators in the US and abroad, worked to develop an affordable and accessible test to determine the risk of preterm birth for a specific pregnancy.
This simple blood test for pregnant women can predict, with 75 to 80 percent accuracy, which pregnancies will end in premature birth. The test identifies genes that signal prematurity as well as gestational age. The test can allow women around the world to receive better prenatal care leading to healthier pregnancies and healthier babies.
Hear from the Stanford researchers about this amazing breakthrough.
Read more about premature birth and the NICU:
