Mums-to-be offered a same-day test for fatal blood condition
A SAME-day test for potentially fatal pre-eclampsia will spare 65,000 pregnant women a year lengthy hospital stays.
The NHS is rolling out the new test – the first kind in the world – to speed up diagnosis and reassure soon-to-be mothers.
The condition causes high blood pressure during pregnancy and if left untreated, the mother can suffer fits, organ failure and a stroke.
It can also stunt a baby’s growth or result in stillbirth.
Currently, thousands of women spend more than three days in hospital being monitored for pre-eclampsia. But the new test gives a result in as little as an hour.
During the test, women with symptoms – such as high blood pressure, headache and protein in the urine – will have a sample of blood taken so doctors can look for a protein called placental growth factor (PLGF).
If the PLGF levels are high, it is highly likely they do not have the condition and can return home. If their levels are low, it could be a sign of pre-eclampsia and further tests would be needed to confirm.
Three-quarters of maternity units in England are now using the test and the NHS said it will be available nationwide within two years.
Rebecca Sanderson had the test in her third pregnancy after she was diagnosed with the condition in her first and was in and out of hospital for monitoring during her second.
The 32-year-old, from Doncaster, said: ‘The frequent monitoring and sometimes long stays in hospital waiting for results meant I had a lot of disruption to my home and work life.
‘This time I had a simple and quick blood test. The test showed that I didn’t need to be admitted to hospital and I was able to go home and be with my family with the peace of mind that I was okay.’
Jenny Myers, professor of obstetrics and maternal medicine at The University of Manchester, described the test as ‘transformative’.
She said: ‘I’m a real advocate for the test as it makes such a big difference to women.
‘In terms of ruling out preeclampsia, there will be lots of women that come to us with a high blood pressure reading at some point during their pregnancy and although this is a potential sign of pre-eclampsia, in many cases the woman isn’t developing pre-eclampsia.
‘If the PLGF-based test is normal, then we can be confident that pre-eclampsia is not developing over the next seven to 14 days and we can safely let that woman go back to her routine antenatal surveillance. Most importantly we can reassure her that everything is looking fine.’ Nadine Dorries, minister for maternity safety, added: ‘Pregnancy is both a uniquely wonderful and uniquely stressful time in a woman’s life and it is impossible to put a price on the peace of mind this kind of test will provide to future mothers.’
Pre-eclampsia occurs in about one in 12 pregnancies. The condition is thought to be due to a problem with the development of the placenta.
It is only cured once the baby has been delivered – although women may be given medication to lower their blood pressure and prevent convulsions.
Women with diabetes, high blood pressure or kidney disease before pregnancy are more likely to have the condition.
‘Uniquely stressful time’