A world-first blood test that can help predict the potentially deadly pregnancy condition pre-eclampsia is being introduced at Melbourne’s Royal Women’s hospital.

The hospital helped develop the blood test, which predicts the likelihood of pregnant women developing the condition.

About one in 20 pregnant women experience pre-eclampsia, which leads to dangerously high blood pressure in a pregnant woman and can involve kidneys, liver, brain and other organ systems. It accounts for about 15% of the maternal morbidity rate.

There is no cure for pre-eclampsia, the hospital’s director of pregnancy research, Prof Shaun Brennecke, said.

“Currently, the only way to cure pre-eclampsia is to end the pregnancy by delivering the baby, even if the pregnancy is still many weeks from full term, in which case such prematurity can have significant implications for the long-term health of the baby,” he said.

Under trial conditions, the blood test allowed doctors to test women who showed symptoms that could suggest pre-eclampsia, including high blood pressure, headaches and nausea, and distinguish which were at high risk of contracting the condition and which were not.

The trial results found that a negative result on the test meant a woman would have a 99% chance of not developing pre-eclampsia over the next week and a 95% chance of not developing it over the next four weeks. The results of the trial were published in 2017.

Brennecke said the test would give doctors the ability to understand the severity of the pre-eclampsia and the best time to deliver the baby.

“This new test is a long-awaited and very important step forward,” he said.

Hannah Torres developed pre-eclampsia in the late stages of her pregnancy with her son Mateo and had to spend a week in critical care after his birth.

“I didn’t realise until afterwards just how serious it was and what complications it can cause,” she said. “Knowing that for future pregnancies I can have a test to tell me if I’m at risk of developing it again, I think that’s wonderful.”

The cause of pre-eclampsia is unknown. Women at higher risk include those having their first baby, those with a history of pre-eclampsia in a previous pregnancy, women under 20 and over 40 and those having twins or multiple babies.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have a higher risk of pregnancy-induced hypertensive disorders, including pre-eclampsia, because of an increased prevalence of chronic high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes and other risk factors.

If left untreated, it can cause the mother to develop liver or kidney failure, seizures, stroke and death.

In the baby it can lead to slower growth in the womb, a low birth weight, premature birth and, in some cases, death.

With Australian Associated Press