I had a scare during my first pregnancy that involved a startling amount of bleeding, a rushed trip to the hospital, and a couple of hours hooked to a fetal monitor. As it turned out, everything was perfectly fine -- but I'll never forget the heart-dropping feeling that everything we'd been hoping for was about to come crashing down around us.
Imagine if I'd been able to take a single test, right then, that would have determined my progesterone levels and informed me whether or not I was headed for a miscarriage? That's the possibility raised in a new study published today. For women experiencing cramping and bleeding, a progesterone test may be able to help distinguish between a viable and nonviable pregnancy.
It all sounds very interesting ... but I can't help thinking about the utterly devastating possibility of false results.
Researchers looked at information from over 9,000 women who were less than 14 weeks pregnant and had experienced abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding, and found that for women with progesterone levels below 3 to 6 nanograms per milliliter, the probability of a nonviable pregnancy rose to more than 99 percent. For those with progesterone levels below 10 ng/mL, 96 percent had a nonviable pregnancy.
The study doesn't appear to be recommending anything yet -- it mostly seems to be saying, "Hey, it may be that a progesterone test would be a good thing to add to treatment for women with pain or bleeding early in pregnancy." After all, about a third of pregnant women experience these scary symptoms, and an ultrasound can be inconclusive.
It sounds like the progesterone level tests are fairly accurate, but obviously, nothing is 100 percent. Can you imagine the horrific possibility of a woman being told her pregnancy was going to end -- when everything was actually fine? Or perhaps worse, the opposite scenario.
Still, even with the potential for incorrect results, it seems like more information is always a good thing. I think it would be a great healthcare option to have access to a relatively simple test that could reassure a scared pregnant woman ... or help prepare her for the heartbreak ahead. I know progesterone tests are often done on women struggling with infertility, or those who have experienced multiple miscarriages, but maybe with these study results, testing will become more common for those who aren't sure if their cramping is totally normal ... or something more serious.
What do you think about this sort of test becoming more available?
Image via kouk/Flickr
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Comments 15
I don't know if I would want to. Even though advanced medicine is a GREAT thing, I'm just not into it because drugs are recalled so often and these procedures (in my opinion) seem to have to many risks.
Having this test is not the end all of a pregnancy. I had 2 miscarriages. When I found out that I was pregnant for the third time, I contacted the doctor ASAP. I had my blood drawn to test my progesterone level. I was at 2 nanograms. I was put on progesterone twice a day immediately. I had to do this for the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy with ultrasounds every week. I have a successful pregnancy 2 years ago all because my progesterone was tested. This test should be done when you first find out that you are pregnant and not wait until you are bleeding or cramping. At that point, it is probably to late to do anything. If you find out early enough, you can take the progesterone and continue on with the pregnancy.
Unfortuantely, only offering this to women who are cramping and/or bleeding leaves those of us who have missed miscarriages left to still find out through an ultrasound after believing for weeks we have a healthy pregnancy. If it can really help prevent possible miscarriages or the such, it should really be given to all women.
SicilyMom "I had my blood drawn to test my progesterone level. I was at 2 nanograms. I was put on progesterone twice a day immediately. I had to do this for the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy with ultrasounds every week. I have a successful pregnancy 2 years ago all because my progesterone was tested."
This is exactly what happened to me. I am very thankful that my Dr. knew to run this test each time. It really made my last pregnancy possible. I also know it is not a sure fix. It will only prolong a potentially viable pregnancy. Some women just need that boost of progesterone to get through the first 12 weeks.
I thought drawing a progesterone level was already part of a prenatal workup. I know that mine was drawn, and i know friends who were found to have low progesterone and started on progesterone right away due to low numbers. I think most women don't even realize its being drawn unless the doctor tells them its low, if its normal the doctor probably won't even mention it.
I bled all throughout my last pregnancy. This test would have saved me a ton of heartache I think. At least knowing the odds at least. I had a pretty large subchorionic hemrrage that caused massive bleeding for my first and most of my second trimester. At one point it covered 75% of baby. I went through the miscarriage counseling at my infertility clinic (yep, you read that right) SEVERAL times! Can you imagine.....that baby you tried so hard for.....spent so much money to get pregnant with.....about to be slipped from your fingers. That was what was going through my head throughout my entire pregnancy! It was nerve wracking the say the least.....I didn't get close to my baby for a long time because of it....I could barely aknowledge I was pregnant! But here he is today :) :)