Premature birth affects 15 million infants a year and can cause brain damage and have knock-on impacts on the child’s future health. A new blood test developed by researchers that can predict whether a child will be born up to two months prematurely could help tackle the condition, especially in developing countries where ultrasounds are not so common. The insight that the test provides can help doctors to identify and monitor the changing patterns which trigger premature birth and provide time to find ways to prevent it. Thus far, the blood test has predicted premature births with 80 percent accuracy.
This new blood test can predict whether or not an infant will be born prematurely
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