Irish scientists are at the forefront of a major new study aimed at ensuring the early detection of the dangerous pregnancy condition, pre-eclampsia.

With pre-eclampsia, a woman's blood pressure can reach dangerously high levels and protein is present in her urine. The condition tends to occur during the second half of a pregnancy and it usually resolves once the baby is delivered.

Major problems arise if the condition develops early in the pregnancy, as decisions then have to be made on whether to deliver the baby prematurely.

Pre-eclampsia is the leading cause of maternal death in Europe and the cause of over 500,000 infant deaths annually worldwide.

While women who have previously had the condition are at an increased risk of it in subsequent pregnancies, there is currently no way of knowing who is at risk among first-time mothers, as it affects women of all ages and ethnicities. In other words, in most cases, it cannot be predicted.

However, a new research initiative hopes to change this. IMPROvED (IMproved PRegnancy Outcomes by Early Detection) is aiming to develop a simple blood test for the condition.

As part of this, women who are pregnant for the first time will be recruited in five major obstetric centres across Europe - Cork in Ireland, the UK, Germany, Sweden and Holland.

Eligible women who meet the study's criteria will be invited to undergo normal clinical evaluations, such as weight, blood pressure and urine samples, and postnatal visits will also be carried out. Those being enrolled have to be less than 16 weeks pregnant and cannot have high blood pressure, kidney disease or diabetes.

"Our goal is to save the lives of affected mums and babies by reducing and eventually preventing the life-threatening complications associated with pre-eclampsia. Mums-to-be can be confident that they are in excellent hands as all participating obstetric recruitment centres have well-established track records and outstanding reputations for the research and management of pre-eclampsia," explained Prof Louise Kenny of Cork University Maternity Hospital, who is leading the international group of doctors and scientists.

The new screening test involves the use of novel metabolites and protein biomarkers. This is the first trial in the world to test these two new prototypes for early pregnancy screening. These tests are brand new and one was developed in Ireland.

The blood test is carried out at 15 weeks gestation and it appears to pick up 95% of women who will go on to develop pre-eclampsia later on. The trial will test if this is correct.

If you would like to get involved, click here or email improved@ucc.ie

For more information on pregnancy, see our Pregnancy Clinic here