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New Software Could Predict Premature Birth

by Evan Shamoon on September 10, 2008 at 01:39 PM


In some amazing news from the land down under, software is reportedly being developed by Australian engineers at the University of Melbourne to better identify women at risk of giving birth prematurely. And here's the crazy part: It's essentially the same technology used to assess the risk of cyclones and nuclear accidents. Now, a software trial is being launched in the city of Newcastle to gauge its success.

The program identifies blood hormone level patterns, which can indicate that a pregnancy is going awry. "The mechanisms that regulate the onset of human labor are still unknown, which makes it difficult to predict the event," said Roger Smith, professor at the University of Newcastle.

If it's successful, the three-year trial is hoped to produce a computer model that can be used by doctors to detect warning signs of premature birth risk. "If you can collect data then you can begin to plot the course of the pregnancy," said Smith.

In Australia, premature births account for 70-percent of newborn fatalities, and 50-percent of cerebral palsy cases. Science FTW. [From: The Age]

Tags: childbirth, health, news.theage.com.aunationalpremature-birth-could-be-predicted-2, science

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