Pharmafile Logo

Moving Beyond the 10%: A New Era in Preterm Birth Prevention

July 1, 2026 | #HearFromHer #PretermBirth 

For decades, the rate of spontaneous preterm birth in the United States has hovered stubbornly around 10%. Despite advancements in other areas of medicine, prematurity remains the second leading cause of death for neonates, carrying a heavy toll of lifelong health complications, developmental disabilities, and a staggering $25 billion annual cost to the healthcare system.

- PMLiVE

Listen to the full episode here.

As discussed in the latest Hear From Her podcast, the challenge has always been prediction. “Prior to this, we had very few tools to help predict who is at risk,” explains Dr. Mollie McDonnold, a Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialist. Traditionally, doctors relied on a patient’s history of previous preterm births, but the majority of cases occur in women with no prior history.

The Biomarker Breakthrough

The conversation highlights a shift toward personalized medicine through the use of biomarkers. By analyzing proteins from the placenta via a simple blood draw early in pregnancy, clinicians can now identify high-risk patients with much greater sensitivity than traditional methods.
Listen to the full episode here.

The Power of the “Bundle”

Identification is only half the battle; prevention is the goal. Zhenya Lindgardt, CEO of Sera Prognostics, shares results from the “Prime Study,” which utilized a protocol designed with the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine. When high-risk women were treated with a “preventive bundle”—consisting of low-dose aspirin, vaginal progesterone, and weekly nurse check-ins—the results were “spectacular”:  

  • A 20% reduction in severe neonatal morbidity.  
  • A 52% reduction in births before 32 weeks.  
  • One out of five babies avoided the NICU entirely.

Listen to the full episode here.

 A Tailored Future

The future of maternal health lies in moving away from a “one size fits all” approach. By stratifying care, healthcare providers can funnel intensive resources—like cervical length monitoring and specialized nurse support—to those who need it most, while providing peace of mind to those at low risk. As Lindgardt notes, the goal is to ensure every pregnancy receives the specific level of care it requires to thrive.

Listen to the full episode here.

This content was provided by Medscape Education

Company Details

 Latest Content from  Medscape Education 

Medscape Education: Rare Diseases PAH

Today is Rare Disease Day, February 28.Hear from Helen as she describes in her own words what it’s like to live with PAH, and her perspective as a patient.  To learn...

Medscape Education and M4RD: Together Caring for Rare Disease

We are excited to finally share our news-style video ' ', developed in partnership with Medics 4 Rare Diseases (M4RD) and produced by Genetic Alliance UK and ITN Business.For more information on...

The Need for and Impact of Rare Disease Education

Physicians are often told that when they hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras — to look for the most common cause of a patient’s symptoms first. While this advice may...

Medscape Education: Rare Diseases Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva

Rare Disease Day is on February 28.Listen to Nicky explain her daughter's journey with fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.Many patients face long waits for accurate diagnosis and treatment, making it critically important...

Medscape Education: Rare Diseases

It's only a few days until #RareDiseaseDay2023 on 28th February. We're taking a patient centered approach, this means understanding their journey so we can better understand how we can help to...

Together Caring for Rare Disease

Medscape Education and Medics4RareDisease are partnering on a Rare Disease Day awareness campaign. The campaign will form part of a series of short programs produced by ITN in collaboration with Genetic Alliance...

Medscape Education Wins Best Practice Award for Learner Outcomes at NAMEC

This year's winners have been announced  for the National Association of Medical Education Companies (NAMEC) awards. These awards recognize best practices-ideas or processes that can be implemented by NAMEC members to...

Medscape Education and Medics4RareDisease Uncover the Education Gaps in Their Compelling Rare Disease Day Campaign

Medscape Education and Medics4RareDisease are partnering on a Rare Disease Day awareness campaign. The campaign will form part of a series of short programs produced by ITN in collaboration with Genetic Alliance...

What Does Net Promoter Score Offer in the Evaluation of Continuing Medical Education?

Net promoter Score (NPS) has been used in many fields, such as software, clinical care, and websites, as a measure of customer satisfaction since 2003. With a single question, NPS...

DIGITAL HEALTH IN PRACTICE AND OVERCOMING DIGITAL FATIGUE

During this year’s Reuters event, Pharma 2022, WebMD CMO, Dr John Whyte discussed the ways in which digital health is growing, and the importance of educating clinicians in the right...