Hundreds of babies could be saved each year from deadly pre-eclampsia by a new 15-minute blood test, it has emerged
Hundreds of babies could be saved each year from deadly pre-eclampsia by a new 15-minute blood test.
Researchers have found that testing a protein level in pregnant women before 35 weeks is highly accurate at identifying those at risk.
Pre-eclampsia is a severe type of high blood pressure in pregnancy that is potentially fatal for the mother and baby. The only solution is to deliver the baby surgically.
The test identifies 96 per cent of women who will need to deliver within the next 14 days, according to a study of 625 mothers-to-be.
Currently, high blood pressure and the presence of a protein called placental growth factor (PLGF) in the urine are used to diagnose pre-eclampsia.
However, both of these signs can be unreliable and can take days to confirm – putting women and babies in urgent need of treatment in further danger. The new rapid test costs £40 and is the first of its type.
It can be done at the bedside and give a result in just 15 minutes.
Some NHS hospitals offer the test but researchers at Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College London plan a bigger trial to ensure it becomes widely available on the NHS.
Professor Andrew Shennan, consultant obstetrician at Guy’s and St Thomas’, said: ‘Around 1,000 babies die every year in the UK because of pre-eclampsia. With an accurate test, some of these babies could have been saved.
‘The PLGF blood test means we can now decide with greater certainty if a mother should be closely monitored to see if the baby needs to be delivered early to save its life, or if it is safe to wait and allow the pregnancy to continue.
‘It is uncommon for mothers to die from pre-eclampsia in the UK, but many can become seriously ill if the condition is not recognised. These cases can be avoided if the severity of the condition is detected – so this test will save lives.’
Pre-eclampsia affects one in ten pregnancies while severe pre-eclampsia affects one to two in every 100 pregnancies.
The new test will assess the risk of pre-eclampsia which is caused by severely high blood pressure and will deliver results much quicker than the tests that are currently in place
It leads to a build-up of fluid in tissues that starts with swollen hands and feet. If untreated it can lead to eclampsia, a highly dangerous condition which produces seizures due to a lack of blood to the brain.
The study was published yesterday in the American Heart Association journal Circulation. Its co-author Dr Lucy Chappell, clinical senior lecturer in obstetrics at King’s College London, said: 'The PLGF test will allow us to identify these women who require closer monitoring, giving the right package of care to the right women.
'This research is going to change how we work and make a difference to thousands of women and babies who may be affected by pre-eclampsia. It is an extremely exciting development.'
Although some NHS hospitals are using the test, it needs to be further validated in a trial of 800 women to ensure it is adopted for widespread use.
The test will be used in a targeted way to diagnose women already suffering symptoms after about 20 weeks of pregnancy, she added.
According to Dr Chappell, the £40 cost is likely to be cut by bulk buying and is 'far lower' than emergency treatment for women.
Ann Marie Barnard, of the charity Action On Pre-eclampsia, said: 'A survey of our members showed they definitely want a predictive test because many are terrified of becoming pregnant again after suffering pre-eclampsia with often tragic results.'
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