Biomaker stands for biological marker and it is used for measuring a biological process be it in a physiological state or pathogenic state. While biomarkers have been used to test the pharmacological effects of drugs in certain diseased conditions including the treatment of cancer in the past, a new research carried out in King’s college London indicates the possibility of using biomarkers to predict preterm birth from the first half of pregnancy.
Carrying out a standard biomarker test in the first half of pregnancy could help doctors identify women at risk of giving birth prematurely and this will help health care focus treatments on women at high risk. Until recently, the major factor that is considered when determining the risk of preterm births in pregnant women is their past record of miscarriage or preterm birth, other factors include length of cervix and levels of biomarker found in vaginal fluid called fetal fibronectin.
What the team of researchers at King’s college London did was to further develop this bookmaker test into a more quantitative test that provides more levels than the usual biomarker tests carried out in the past. In the study …
While stating the benefit of this new biomarker test with higher accuracy and wider range of results it is hoped that in the future further trials will be carried out to ascertain whether biomarker testing at earlier stage of pregnancy could help intervene where necessary before cervical shortening is detected and in turn improve the chances of safe delivery in more women.
With 8 African countries in the WHO's list of the top ten countries with the highest preterm birth rate and Nigeria ranking 3rd, this new biomarker test if adopted could help reduce incidents of preterm births in Africa.
Preterm births could then be predicted earlier and necessary interventions instituted to avert it.
Written By: Jimoh Waliu
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