New Blood Test Could Predict Your Baby's Date Of Birth

Scientists may have discovered a new blood test which gives a far accurate prediction of a baby's due date.

Research at Stanford University School of Medicine say they have found a way to predict when the baby is coming by observing properties in the mother's blood.

The team observed 63 women who gave two or three blood samples in the last 100 days of their pregnancies.

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All of them went into labour around similar times, with doctors then able to compare their labour date with signals in their blood.

Using scientific modelling methods, the researchers could determine which features in the blood best predicted labour was coming.

The blood had lower levels of chemicals that form blood vessels - a sign the placenta and uterus are breaking apart and that labour was imminent.

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One protein was the most predictive that a woman was set to go into labour - IL-1R4, which helps prevent inflammation.

If doctors can predict if a woman will give birth earlier they can put control measures in place, such as providing medication that mature the baby's lungs quicker and make the process of labour more bearable for all.

Research leader Dr Ina Stelzer, said of the study: "We found a transition from 'progressing pregnancy' to a 'pre-labour' phase that happens two to four weeks before the mom goes into labour.

"We've identified a novel way to use the maternal blood to predict when a mother will go into labour."

Dr Virginia Winn, associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Stanford, said: "The mum's body and physiology start to change about three weeks before the actual onset of labour.

"It's not a single switch; there's this preparation that the body has to go through."

Currently, the test is thought to give a two-week window but could become more precise as new technology develops.

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And should further test go well, the blood test may be implemented in hospitals worldwide in around three years' time.

As it stands, doctors predict a mum-to-be's due date by calculating 40 weeks from her last period, as well as looking at the baby's size.

But the date is rarely accurate, with only around five per cent of babies born when doctors expect.

Topics: Pregnancy, Baby, Life News, Life, Motherhood

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

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