Scientists and researchers at Stanford University have created a relatively inexpensive blood test that can help doctors predict due dates and see if women are at risk of premature birth. Millions of babies are born prematurely every year, and it is proven to be the most common cause of infant death.

The test shows measurements of the genes in the RNA of the mother and detects changes that can give researchers the information they need to look for any risks of premature birth. This will save the lives of many newborns, as doctors will be able to use the baby’s maturity to determine when to deliver the babies in any situation.

However, this has only been tested on a small group of women. Researchers look forward to expanding and improving this technology and testing it on a larger and more diverse group.
Although this idea is still fairly new and can still be perfected, the applications for this idea are limitless and can prevent the lives of millions of newborn babies.

<Sunny Whang Walnut HS 11th Grade>