UNIVERSITY of Queensland researchers have developed a new rapid sensor that can detect pregnancy complications, such as gestational diabetes, preterm birth risks and hypertension, as early as 11 weeks, with a simple blood test.
The team hopes to make the device widely available in pharmacies and through GPreferrals.
The 'nanoflower sensor', which works by screening blood samples for cell biomarkers and amplifying signals, could help reduce neonatal hospital admissions and save the healthcare system millions each year.
The researchers collected blood samples from 201 pregnant women at 11-13 weeks gestation and were able to detect possible complications, such as preterm birth, gestational diabetes and preeclampsia (high blood pressure during pregnancy).
"These complications during pregnancy can have significant health risks, both in the short term and long term," said Professor Carlos Salomon Gallo (pictured right) from UQ's Centre for ClinicalResearch.
"Currently, most pregnancy complications cannot be identified until the second or third trimester, which means it can sometimes be too late for effectiveintervention.
"However, with this technology, pregnant women will be able to seek medical intervention much earlier."
The biosensor has more than 90% accuracy in identifying women at risk of developing pregnancycomplications.
Around 30,000 babies born in Australia each year experience growth and developmental impairments due to complications.
"The biosensor is currently connected to a colorimeter reader and a laptop, but we are actively working on developing it as a point-of-care device," Professor Salomon Gallo told Pharmacy Daily.
"Our long-term goal is to make it widely accessible through pharmacies, for direct purchase or in-house testing, allowing individuals to monitor their risk factors conveniently."
The researchers' next study will include a clinical trial involving at least 2,000 women.
"This will enable us to test the biosensor on a sufficiently large number of patients to demonstrate itsspecificity and sensitivity," Professor Salomon Gallo said.
"The timeline [for commercial availability] will depend on the success of this phase of clinical testing," he concluded. KB
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