Posted on 10/21/2024 9:19:34 PM PDT by ConservativeMind
A simple blood test could help doctors identify women in labor who are at risk for preeclampsia—a leading cause of maternal death—and take precautions to prevent it, according to research.
While preeclampsia can develop as early as the 20th week of pregnancy, the study focused on identifying women who were at risk for preeclampsia when they were admitted to the hospital in labor.
Researchers have determined doctors can predict a woman's risk of developing preeclampsia by calculating the ratio of two blood proteins—fibrinogen and albumin—measured in routine blood tests done when women in labor enter the hospital.
Fibrinogen is involved in blood clotting and inflammation, while albumin helps maintain fluid balance and carries hormones, vitamins and enzymes throughout the body. Both can be disrupted with preeclampsia—fibrinogen may be elevated, albumin may be reduced, or both can occur.
There is no universally established normal value for this fibrinogen-to-albumin ratio (FAR), which can range from 0.05 to 1 or higher. Higher FAR values are often associated with increased inflammation, infection or serious health conditions, and the higher the FAR, the greater the concern.
The researchers determined those who had a higher FAR were more likely to develop preeclampsia than those with a lower FAR. They found that the predicted likelihood of developing any degree of preeclampsia was 24% for patients with a FAR of at least 0.1 on admission to the hospital, and it rose to more than 41% when that value was above 0.3.
If a woman in labor is found to be at increased risk for preeclampsia based on the FAR and other clinical indicators—such as being older than 35 or having chronic high blood pressure or obesity—obstetricians and anesthesiologists can take extra precautions to reduce the risk and ensure the patient's blood pressure and fluid levels remain controlled.
(Excerpt) Read more at medicalxpress.com ...
Bookmark
Great
Make this routine along with automatic paternity testing
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.