New study discovers biomarkers to prevent stillbirth

Washington: New biomarkers discovered in maternal blood may allow doctors to prevent stillbirth, a research has found.

Lead author, David Wishart said, "When we started analyzing the blood of women who experienced stillbirth and compared them to healthy women, we noticed there's a chemical difference. "This suggested that we could predict and potentially prevent stillbirths."

Using a mass spectrometer, Wishart and his colleagues examined maternal blood and identified four chemicals that showed up consistently in mothers who experienced stillbirth.

Combining this with demographic information about the mothers, the researchers discovered biomarkers for predicting signs of the first-trimester stillbirth, including a fifth, previously unknown blood chemical, called verruculotoxin.

"Verrucotoxin is likely produced by microbes and fungi. This is intriguing because there's anecdotal information about people living in certain areas where there are high mould instances of having high instances of stillbirth," Wishart explained.

Using this approach, scientists could develop tools and technology to screen for many other, preventable illnesses that affect both women and children, he added.

Wishart further said, "This research is the tip of a bigger iceberg. By looking at the chemicals in the mother's blood we can actually identify the risk for not just stillbirth, but a whole range of other conditions both for the mother and the fetus."

Focusing on chemicals within the body gives scientists a clearer view of the potential causes and reasons. It also opens up possibilities of applying this technique to other risk-related conditions that can happen during pregnancy.

The full findings are present in the journal- Journal of Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine.