New test to detect risk for giving birth prematurely

There is a new, simple test to detect the risk of giving birth prematurely.

Attorney Shae Harvey is due any day now.

She is taking care of her other children while still working from home.

“To balance career and family, there are some sacrifices that you have to make,” Harvey said. “And one being during pregnancy, the goal is to service your clients as long as possible.“

She’s not alone. Many women are working right up until one month or less before they give birth out of economic necessity.

Dr. La Tonya Hines says doing so may have some consequences: 1 in 8 women deliver their babies prematurely.

She wants to prevent that from happening. 

“The longer the patient stays pregnant, the more likely the patient is to do better with the pregnancy,” Dr. Hines said.  “The infant is more likely to do better and not be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit.”

Now there is a simple test that predicts with 99-percent certainty whether a woman will deliver in the next two weeks. 

It’s done with a q-tip, looking for a special type of glue called fibronectin, between 23 and 34 weeks of the pregnancy.
 
If the test is negative, the woman knows that she can continue working and stay home.

“I really love this test because it keeps my patients, and I think more often than not, out of the hospital.” Dr. Hines said. “So that they can be at home, in a comfortable environment with their families, and not in the hospital, and prevent interventions that may not be necessary.“

If the test is positive, then the doctor can admit the woman to a hospital or give her medicines and take other steps to prevent premature birth.

In Shae Harvey’s case, her test was negative, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now I feel a lot more confident, like okay, we have a little more time.” Harvey said. “I just want the healthiest baby that I can have.“

Every woman should get regular prenatal tests and be checked regularly during pregnancy.

Ask your doctor about the fibronectin test; if it’s right for you - it could save your baby’s life.