SYDNEY, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- Australian scientists have developed a new blood test capable of detecting health complications early in pregnancy.
The research team from the University of Queensland (UQ) said in a study published on Thursday that their "nanoflower sensor" could help reduce hospital admissions for newborn babies.
The test screens blood samples for cell biomarkers and can detect complications such as gestational diabetes, preterm birth risks and high blood pressure as early as 11 weeks into a pregnancy.
Carlos Salomon Gallo from UQ's Center for Clinical Research said that the team tested the sensor on blood samples from 201 pregnant women at 11-13 weeks gestation and detected possible complications.
"Currently, most pregnancy complications can not be identified until the second or third trimester, which means it can sometimes be too late for effective intervention," he said in a media release.
"However, with this technology, pregnant women will be able to seek medical intervention much earlier. We also found our biosensor has more than 90 percent accuracy in identifying women at risk of developing pregnancy complications."
He said that the technology could save the healthcare system millions of dollars every year by reducing neonatal intensive care unit admissions and preventing emergency pregnancy interventions, including cesarean section.
"This has the potential to revolutionize earlier risk assessment and interventions, improving clinical decision-making in obstetric care," Salomon Gallo said.
Mostafa Kamal Masud, a co-author of the study from UQ's Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, said that the technology used nanosensors to detect low concentrations of biomarkers indicating possible health complications that are missed by current less sensitive testing methods. ■
