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1 in 10 U.S. Babies Are Born Too Early. A Leading OB-GYN Says Most Mothers Can Learn Their Risk by Week 21, and Do Something About It.

SERA
  • About 1 in 10 U.S. pregnancies result in preterm birth, making it the leading cause of illness and death in newborns.
  • Traditional history-based risk assessment identifies only about 20% of at-risk women, leaving roughly 80% undiagnosed, particularly first-time mothers.
  • The PreTRM® Test is a blood-based biomarker test ordered by medical professionals that predicts individualized risk for spontaneous preterm birth in asymptomatic singleton pregnancies.
  • The test is performed between weeks 18 and 21 of pregnancy by measuring the ratio of two proteins, IBP4 and SHBG.
  • The PreTRM® Test is a proteomic test that predicts risk rather than a genetic test that prevents preterm birth.
  • The PRIME trial involving roughly 5,000 participants showed that PreTRM-guided care reduced preterm births before 32 weeks by more than 50% and births before 35 weeks by more than 30%.
  • PreTRM-guided interventions in the PRIME trial also lowered NICU admissions by 20% using vaginal progesterone, low-dose aspirin, and frequent nurse check-ins.
  • Full national adoption of the PreTRM® Test could result in approximately 94,300 fewer NICU admissions annually.
  • Black women in the U.S. have a preterm birth rate of nearly 15%, which is about 50% higher than the rate for white women.
  • As of July 1, 2026, Illinois Medicaid covers proteomic prenatal testing, including the PreTRM® Test.
  • The list price for the PreTRM® Test is $750, or $600 with an upfront payment, though insurance coverage and financial assistance options are available.
  • Dr. Thaïs Aliabadi, a board-certified OB-GYN and co-host of the SHE MD podcast, advocates for early screening to enable proactive care months before potential complications arise.
  • The United States received a "D+" grade for preterm birth from the March of Dimes for the fourth consecutive year as of 2025.