Hundreds of babies could be saved by pre-eclampsia test

The bedside test can give a result in 15 minutes and is able to identify 96 per cent of pregnant women at high risk of the condition.

It was developed by British scientists who studied a group of 625 pregnant women from across the UK, 61 per cent of whom were affected by pre-eclampsia.

The condition can damage the kidneys, liver and brain and lead to premature delivery, low birthweight babies and stillbirths.

Dr Lucy Chappell, senior lecturer in obstetrics at King’s College London, said: “The test is designed to differentiate women with pre-eclampsia from those with high blood pressure alone.

“Current tests for the condition only detect that it’s happening, rather than predicting it, and by that time the disease has progressed and has likely already caused organ damage.

“The test identifies women at high risk for developing pre-eclampsia, so doctors can better monitor and treat the blood pressure. It also prevents unnecessary hospitalisations of those who are not likely to develop pre-eclampsia.”

Pre-eclampsia affects one in 10 UK pregnancies, and between one per cent and two per cent of pregnant women suffer severe symptoms.

It usually strikes during the second half of pregnancy, or soon after a baby is born.

Besides high blood pressure, other symptoms include fluid retention, severe headache, and vision problems.

In very severe cases, pre-eclampsia may cause fits that are life-threatening to mother and baby. Each year, the condition kills six or seven women and 1,000 babies in the UK.

The team from Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Foundation Trust and King’s College found that women with low levels of protein placental growth factor (PIGF) were very likely to develop pre-eclampsia.

Currently the only cure for severe pre-eclampsia is to deliver the baby, regardless of how advanced the pregnancy is.