Premature birth risk could be measured by blood test – study

Findings offer hope of accurate predictions on age of foetus and early birth through test that picks up free-floating RNA in the mother's blood

Whether a pregnant woman is at risk of premature delivery could eventually be predicted by a blood test, according to new research.

The study found that both the age of a developing foetus, and whether a woman was at risk of giving birth early, could be worked out using a test that picks up free-floating RNA, DNA's single-stranded cousin, in the mother's blood.