Breakthrough gives hope to women with ectopic pregnancies
07 May 2008Thousands of women could avoid the trauma of an ectopic pregnancy thanks to a breakthrough by NHS doctors, the Daily Mail has reported.
Blood tests have been developed to check for abnormalities in women which show up at between four and six weeks into a pregnancy.
With support from NHS Innovations, an agency which helps develop
health breakthroughs, doctors at Barking, Havering and Redbridge NHS Trust created the new method of diagnosis which looks for eight special "markers" in the blood.
Earlier methods of detection included blood screening and ultrasound but these proved to be too inaccurate.
An ectopic pregnancy occurs when a foetus develops outside the womb with the baby unable to survive into child birth.
Early detection of ectopic pregnancies is vital as it can significantly reduce the likelihood of future pregnancy or in some extreme cases lead to maternal death.
Speaking to the Daily Mail, NHS Innovations chief executive David Chilvers, said: "If you don't catch an ectopic pregnancy early, the woman would have to go through a medical procedure which could cause problems in having future children."
Ectopic pregnancies are the fourth most common cause of maternal deaths in the UK.
Countess Sophie Wessex and Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman are among famous women who have suffered ectopic pregnancies.
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