Could Smart Pen Prevent Premature Births?

A new test could save the NHS £1bn a year by accurately predicting the chances of pre-term delivery up to three months in advance.

16:30 21 March 2017

A device that looks like a pencil is set to revolutionise the prevention of premature birth by accurately predicting the chances of pre-term delivery up to three months in advance. The new non-invasive test can alert doctors if moisture is accumulating in the cervix allowing them to intervene and if needed, artificially prolong the pregnancy. This is a great alternative to ultrasounds and fetal fibronectin swabs that are not only expensive and time-consuming but can also only predict premature birth a few days in advance.

 

The new test has been trialled at an NHS hospital in Sheffield. It takes about 15 seconds to complete and can be conducted by GPs and nursing staff.

 

Professor Dilly Anumba, who is leading the research at Sheffield’s Royal Hallamshire Hospital, said: “If we are able to identify women at real risk, then we can target them for treatments way before pre-term birth occurs to reduce the risks of either the baby dying or the extremely premature baby surviving with cerebral palsy or other problems associated with prematurity.”