Point-of-care diagnostic for detecting preterm birth on horizon

A new study provides a first step toward the development of an inexpensive point-of-care diagnostic test to assess the presence of known risk factors for preterm birth in resource-poor areas. The study found that measuring levels of TIMP-1 and D-lactic acid in vaginal secretions may be a noninvasive, cost-effective way to assess the risk for preterm birth due to a short cervix and microbiome composition.

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