Method and system for early risk assessment of preterm delivery outcome

Abstract

System and method for assessing preterm delivery risk for pregnant subject is disclosed. Existing preterm delivery risk assessment methods provide results in late second or third trimester of pregnancy, so little time is available for medical advice. Presently disclosed method and system predict preterm delivery risk within 15 weeks of pregnancy. Microbiome characterization data obtained from microbiome sample from pregnant subject. 'Microbial taxonomic abundance profile' generated from microbiome characterization data, contains abundance values of microbes present in the microbiome sample. 'Taxonomic Composition Skew' value, and distribution characteristic value for 'microbial taxonomic abundance profile', quantifying biases in abundance values of microbes from the microbial taxonomic abundance profile, is computed. Risk of preterm delivery is determined based on the distribution characteristic value or 'taxonomic composition skew' value of the set DSR, wherein the set DSR comprises values quantifying biases in the abundance values of microbes from the microbiome sample.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application claims priority from Indian Provisional Patent Application No. 201621005426 filed on February 16, 2016, the entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference. technical field [0003] Embodiments described herein relate generally to methods and systems for risk assessment of preterm birth outcomes in pregnant subjects, and more specifically to microbiome-based methods for early risk assessment of preterm birth outcomes in pregnant subjects. Background technique [0004] According to recent estimates by the World Health Organization (WHO), preterm birth (ie, birth before the 37th full week of gestation) is the leading cause of neonatal death worldwide. More children die from complications related to preterm birth than from diarrhea, malaria or AIDS. Preterm birth (PTD) cases are observed in 5%-18% of total pregnancies (www.who.int / mediacentre / factsheets / fs363 / en / ). Prenatal and / or postnatal costs ...

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Problems solved by technology

Therefore, reliance on the indicators discussed above makes this diagnostic technique inappropriate for first-time pregnancies or for preterm outcomes not driven by known risk factors (i.e., vaginal infection and / or "fetal / uterine" abnormalities)

Additionally, some existing diagnostic methods require sampling techniques that are invasive in nature, potentially causing / imposing physical and / or emotional inconvenience to the subject being tested

[0007] A major disadvantage of existing preterm birth risk assessment methods is that they provide practical utility only in the "late" trimester of pregnancy (ie, in the late second or third (i.e., final) trimester) of pregnancy. The diagnosis result of

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