Patent ID: 7892774

Claim:
A method for identifying a patient with intact foetal membranes possessing risk factors indicative of preterm delivery comprising: a) detecting a first level of IGFBP-1 at a first time interval in an essentially blood-free vaginal or cervical secretion sample from said patient with an antibody that recognizes IGFBP-1; b) detecting a test level of IGFBP-1 at a second time interval in an essentially blood-free vaginal or cervical secretion sample from said patient with an antibody that recognizes IGFBP-1; c) comparing said levels of IGFBP-1 to a high level of 100 μg/l and a low level of less than 1.0 μg/l; d) comparing said test level of IGFBP-1 to said first level; e) identifying a test level of IGFBP-1 that is less than 100 μg/l and equal to or greater than 1 μg/l; and f) providing medical advice designed to prevent preterm delivery to said patient where said sample has an IGFBP-1 level that is less than 100 μg/l and equal to or greater than 1 μg/l but which is higher than said first level, wherein said test level of IGFBP-1 being less than 100 μg/l and equal to or greater than 1 μg/l but which is higher than said first level, despite intact foetal membranes, indicates that said patient possesses risk factors indicative of preterm delivery.