Pregnancy & Fertility - Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein-1 (IGFBP-1)

IGFBP-1 PROM

Premature rupture of the amniotic membranes (prom) affects 5 to 10% of pregnancies and is associated with serious complications, including premature delivery and neonatal sepsis. Rapid and accurate diagnosis is essential to allow appropriate obstetric intervention. Conversely a false diagnosis of prom may result in unnecessary intervention including hospitalization and induction of labour. The leakage of amniotic fluid associated with prom can not always be diagnosed definitively by clinical examination alone. Leakage of amniotic fluid tends to elevate the pH of the vagina, and testing for elevated pH has long been used when prom is suspected. While pH tests are fast and sensitive, they are limited by marginal specificity. A new generation of tests based on the detection of specific molecules such as DAO, fibronectin, PAMG-1, or IGFBP-1 found at relatively high concentrations in amniotic fluid, now provide a means of confirming the clinical and pH diagnosis of prom.