Serum biomarkers of spontaneous preterm birth.

The article discusses the rationale for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB). The use of predictors of sPTB permits the identification of a group of women at the highest risk for whom an intervention may be tested and for whom intervention is most critically needed. Maternal blood is drawn routinely at several points in time during prenatal care, and thus, a serum biomarker could be incorporated into the usual provision of care. Using maternal serum for biomarkers of PTB also facilitates central processing and analysis.