New blood test can predict miscarriage just one week into pregnancy

Researchers have developed a blood test that can predict from the earliest stage of pregnancy if a woman will miscarry.

The test, carried out in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, can also predict if a woman is expected to give birth prematurely or develop pre-eclampsia, a potentially fatal condition causing high blood pressure.

Scientists have discovered molecules in the blood that predict these birth complications with up to 98 per cent accuracy.

According to US scientists, problems with pregnancy start as early as during the first week in the placental bed.

They found signs of future problems could be detected in the first trimester – the first 12 weeks – before symptoms appeared. The blood test screens for molecules called microRNA, which are found in blood cells in the placental bed. These are thought to indicate problems with blood supply, which can trigger birth complications.

The study that was conducted in the Laboratory for Reproductive Medicine and Immunology in San Francisco presented their findings to the annual congress of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) in San Antonio, Texas.

Examining microRNA at various points during pregnancy, they found accuracy rates typically ranged between 90 and 98 per cent for predicting all the conditions except for pre-eclampsia, which was 82 per cent accurate.

The authors, led by Edward Winger, wrote in their research summary: 'These complications pose a serious risk to both maternal and infant health. Our analysis supports the idea that [they] have a common biological origin early in the first trimester that can be detected throughout the first trimester. Ours is the first to use microRNA to successfully predict multiple pregnancy disorders with high specificity.