New blood test capable of detecting pregnancy health complications earlier

The research team from the University of Queensland (UQ) said in a study published on Thursday that their "nanoflower sensor" could help reduce hospital admissions for newborn babies, Xinhua news agency reported.

The test screens blood samples for cell biomarkers and can detect complications such as gestational diabetes, preterm birth risks, and high blood pressure as early as 11 weeks into a pregnancy.

Carlos Salomon Gallo from UQ's Center for Clinical Research said that the team tested the sensor on blood samples from 201 pregnant women at 11-13 weeks' gestation and detected possible complications.

"Currently, most pregnancy complications cannot be identified until the second or third trimester, which means it can sometimes be too late for effective intervention. However, with this technology, pregnant women will be able to seek medical intervention much earlier. We also found our biosensor has more than 90 per cent accuracy in identifying women at risk of developing pregnancy complications," Gallo said.

The researcher said that the technology could save the healthcare system millions of dollars every year by reducing neonatal intensive care unit admissions and preventing emergency pregnancy interventions, including cesarean section.

"This has the potential to revolutionise earlier risk assessment and interventions, improving clinical decision-making in obstetric care," Gallo added.

Mostafa Kamal Masud, a co-author of the study from UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, said that the technology used nanosensors to detect low concentrations of biomarkers indicating possible health complications that are missed by current less sensitive testing methods.

The research is published in the journal Science Advances.