Local doctors hopeful that new test will detect fatal condition for pregnant women

he U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given its approval to a promising new blood test designed to ascertain a woman’s risk of developing pre-eclampsia, a potentially fatal pregnancy condition affecting one in 25 pregnancies in the U.S.

The test offers a critical tool for doctors to categorize patients into higher and lower risk groups, according to doctors at URMC.

Pre-eclampsia, characterized by high blood pressure alongside symptoms like headaches or nausea, can be challenging to detect.

The new test bears significant implications for African-American women, who are 60 percent more likely to experience pre-eclampsia during pregnancy than white women.

The predictive power of the test is not unlimited, however, and covers only a two-week time frame, according to experts.

Further testing would be required beyond this period to continue monitoring the risk of pre-eclampsia. This landmark approval from the FDA marks a significant advancement in safeguarding the health of pregnant women and their babies.