A new study shows that a simple blood test may be able to predict the risk of preterm birth more than four months before delivery. The findings, to be presented today at the annual meeting of the European Society of Human Genetics, could help identify at-risk pregnancies much earlier than current methods allow.
Preterm birth — when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy — is the leading cause of death in children under five. Each year, about 13.4 million babies are born prematurely, and nearly one million die due to complications related to early birth.
Researchers from China, led by Dr. Wen-Jing Wang of BGI Research in Shenzhen and Professor Chemming Xu from the Obstetrics and Gynaecology Hospital of Fudan University in Shanghai, analyzed blood samples from 851 pregnant women. Among them, 299 experienced preterm birth while 552 delivered at full term.
Using these samples, collected around the 16th week of pregnancy, the researchers looked for cell-free RNA (cfRNA) markers in the blood. These markers reflect real-time changes in the body’s tissues. They found clear differences between women who gave birth early and those who carried to term.
“Finding these signals more than four months before birth suggests that biological changes leading to preterm birth start much earlier than we thought,” said Dr. Wang. “This longer time frame could change how we prevent preterm births.”
The cfRNA test can be done at the same time as routine Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT), using the same blood sample. The cost of cfRNA sequencing is similar to NIPT, and future methods using targeted tests could reduce costs even more. This makes it possible to monitor both high-risk individuals and larger populations.
Unlike DNA or immune markers, cfRNA provides dynamic and tissue-specific information. The study found different cfRNA patterns depending on the type of preterm birth. Cases with early rupture of membranes showed signs of infection and inflammation. In contrast, cases without membrane rupture showed changes in metabolism and placenta-related cells. These results matched clinical data.
“This liquid biopsy method could transform how we understand and manage pregnancy complications,” said Dr. Wang.
However, before the test can be widely used, researchers say protocols for handling RNA samples must be standardized due to RNA’s fragile nature. They also note the need to validate the test in diverse populations and to better understand the causes of different types of preterm birth.
The team is working on these challenges and is looking to partner with other institutions to bring their findings into clinical use more quickly.
Professor Alexandre Reymond, chair of the conference, commented: “Advances in sequencing are opening new doors in diagnostics. This study is an exciting example of using sequencing not just to study genetic risks, but to assess real-time biological changes.”
Related topics:
