Written by Gayathri Lakshminarayanan
Pregnancy is a very delicate and complicated phase. It would help if you were very careful about everything you do. Though preterm labor is successful in most cases, there are chances of severe complications if the baby leaves the womb early. Their lungs and other organs might not have grown to the fullest. During pregnancy, you will be required to take several tests to ensure that both the mother and the baby are healthy and strong. Fetal Fibronectin test for preterm labor is one such test to evaluate the risk of preterm delivery.
The fetal fibronectin test is a blood test that is performed on pregnant women who are at risk for preterm labor. The test can determine if the woman has an increased risk of developing preterm labor in the next two weeks. In this article, let us discuss more Fetal Fibronectin tests, when the test will be taken, and much more.
In This Article
Fetal Fibronectin is a protein secreted between the boundaries of the amniotic sac and the uterus lining. This secretion helps the amniotic sac and the uterus lining to stay intact with each other. The Fetal Fibronectin test identifies the fFN levels in the vaginal fluid to ascertain the risk of preterm delivery.
Normal delivery is the one that occurs between 38 to 42 weeks of pregnancy, and delivery between 20 and 37 weeks of pregnancy is known as preterm delivery. The fFN levels are high during early pregnancy as the tissues develop at the junction of amniotic fluid and the uterus lining. Along the weeks, the fFN levels drop as the body gets ready to give birth.
It is recommended to do the fFN test in pregnant women at 24 to 32 weeks and with the symptoms of preterm labor. It may also be used in women who do not have the symptoms of preterm labor and those at 22 to 31 weeks pregnant.
Some women between 22 to 35 weeks of pregnancy with a shortened cervix, contractions, cervix dilations, or other preterm labor symptoms may also be tested.
However, you will not be tested for fFN if you:
You OBGYN will decide whether you need the fFN test or not. Sometimes, your doctor might decide that you don’t need the fFN test, and they might use your cervical length to determine if you require the fFN test.
If your cervix is short, you may be at the risk of having the baby soon. In such cases, your doctor may recommend you to take steroids or medicines to help the contractions, even if the fFN test comes negative.
If your cervix is long, there is a lower risk of preterm delivery. So, the doctors might not recommend the fFN test based on your ultrasound results.
[Read : Cervical Cerclage: All That You Need To Know]
Your doctor might ask you to take the fFN test anytime during 22 to 34 weeks of pregnancy based on your symptoms and health condition. The following are some of the symptoms that may require or necessisate the fFN test.
Further, certain factors may increase the risk of preterm labor. They are,
If you get a positive, fFN test, it indicates a slight disturbance in the tissues that glues the amniotic fluid and the uterus lining. You might be at the risk of premature delivery in the next seven days.
Before going to the test, you need to understand what you can expect in an fFN test. Ideally, your doctor would insert a swab into your vagina and collect the sample of cervical and vaginal secretions. And that is it. Your sample goes in for testing, and the results depend on the level of fFN in your body.
Though the results of fFN tests are always accurate, there are a few factors that might give a false result. You need to avoid them before the test, certainly. They are,
The results of the Fetal Fibronectin Test come as either positive or negative. In most cases, the results are accurate.
If you have a positive fFN result,
If you have a negative fFN result,
[Read : 5 Different Phases Of Fetal Lung Development]
A negative fFN result helps your doctor make the medications and treatment clearer. You might not require to be admitted to the hospital and can avoid the following treatments,
These drugs help you and your baby if you have a positive test result. But, avoiding them is the best when not necessary. Though they are the best, they might have side effects if used when not needed.
If the doctor thinks that women might deliver early, they may suggest the fetal fibronectin test for preterm labor. Based on the result, the doctor might give medicines and steroids to stall the delivery and help fasten the growth of the baby’s lungs. Now that you know everything about the fFN test, if your doctor suggests you a test, make sure you take them without fail and have happy labor.
[Read : Antibiotics During Pregnancy]
According to the research conducted by the National Library Of Medicine to determine the accuracy of the cervicovaginal Fetal Fibronectin Test, the Cervicovaginal Fetal Fibronectin Test is most accurate in determining preterm birth within the next 7 to 10 days. These tests were conducted among women who had symptoms of preterm birth before cervical dilation.
The study result also says that, after a positive fFN test, 40 symptomatic women were tested, and 17 of them at 31 weeks of gestational age required antenatal steroids to prevent respiratory distress syndrome.
A negative fFN test means that it is unlikely that you will give birth in the next week or two. This can make you have a chill pill and helps your doctor to hold off the treatments that may not be necessary.
Read Also: What is Premature Delivery?
Gayathri’s passion for writing had its foundation at the very early stages of her life when she was on her college editorial board and also won several awards for writing events and book review competitions. She combines her corporate experience with her writing skills and her experience as a homemaker makes her an empathetic contributor in the parenting domain . Her shift from full-time accounting professional to a homemaker gave her career a new direction.Read more.
Shingles During Pregnancy – Causes, Symptoms, and Diagnosis
Elderberry During Pregnancy – Benefits & Side Effects
High Protein In Urine During Pregnancy – Causes, Symptoms And Treatment
Laser Hair Removal During Pregnancy – Is it Safe?
Loperamide During Pregnancy – Safety, Dosage and Side Effects
Acupressure During Pregnancy – Benefits, Risks, and Precautions
Get regular updates, great recommendations and other right stuff at the right time.