Premature Birth A saliva test that detects estriol, a type of estrogen, may help determine if a pregnant woman is at risk of premature delivery, researchers report. Estriol, in addition to being produced by the mother is also produced by the fetus and placenta.
Levels increase gradually in pregnancy and then surges in the weeks before labor.
Investigators measured estriol levels in the saliva of nearly 1,000 pregnant women at 8 US medical centers on a weekly basis starting from the 22nd week of pregnancy. Women who had two tests in a row that showed elevated estriol were three to four times more likely to experience preterm labor than those with lower levels. According to Dr. Heine, salivary testing offers several advantages over blood tests, such as being simple, convenient, and noninvasive. I use quite a bit of this type of testing in my office to assess the function of the adrenal glands. I have found the testing to be enormously helpful.