Researchers Hope To Develop Blood Test To Let Women Know When Labor Starts
BOSTON (CBS) - Exactly when labor will begin has long been a mystery. But for the first time, a blood test could one day help doctors determine when a pregnant woman will go into labor.
Women with healthy full-term pregnancies are often given a 5-week window in which to expect their new baby to arrive, making planning somewhat difficult.
Researchers at Stanford followed 63 pregnant women and discovered that women enter a pre-labor phase of pregnancy about three weeks before labor begins, which is characterized by changes in levels of hormones and other markers in the blood.
They hope their research will lead to a simple blood test within the next 2-3 years, which can tell women with healthy, full-term pregnancies how close they are to delivery.