Blood test can identify common cause of miscarriage - report
The simple test could prevent the extensive and complex testing to which many women who miscarry are repeatedly subjected.
By JERUSALEM POST STAFFIchilov research on identifying the causes of miscarriage (photo credit: MIRI GATTENYO/ICHILOV SPOKESPERSON'S OFFICE)
A new study, completed at Ichilov Hospital, suggests a simple blood test might be able to identify chromosome disorders – the most common cause of natural miscarriage. This would allow for less invasive testing of women who suffer frequent miscarriages, according to the director of the Prenatal Diagnosis Unit Prof. Yuval Yaron.More than 60% of natural miscarriages are caused by random chromosome disorders in the fetus. Women who suffer repeated miscarriages are subjected to complex testing including imaging of the uterus, blood tests and chromosome analysis. These tests often do not identify the cause of the miscarriage.The study checked if a simple blood test of women who miscarried could identify chromosome disorders in the fetus, based on the genetic material of the fetus which is naturally found in woman’s blood, Yaron explained.The study, which was published in the Journal Human Reproduction, included 86 women who had miscarried in the first trimester and found chromosome disorders in 55 of the cases. The study successfully identified 83% of the cases. In light of the results, it recommended that the blood test be done, in the case of repeated miscarriages, before other exams to avoid extensive and invasive testing.
