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Results
By Mayo Clinic staffResults of the fetal fibronectin test are either positive or negative:
- Positive. A positive result means that fetal fibronectin is present. If you have a positive result between weeks 24 and 34, you're at increased risk of preterm labor. Your health care provider may suggest rest or a brief course of medication to help prevent preterm labor. You may also be given an injection of potent steroids to speed your baby's lung maturity.
- Negative. A negative result means that fetal fibronection isn't present. This indicates that your pregnancy is likely to continue for at least another week. In fact, a negative result may be the most powerful benefit of the test — allowing you and your health care provider to relax a bit with the knowledge that a premature birth isn't imminent. Even so, your health care provider may encourage you to rest to help prevent preterm labor.
Whether your test results are positive or negative, remember that prompt recognition of preterm labor may help you prevent premature birth. Warning signs include:
- Regular or frequent contractions (You'll feel a tightening sensation in your abdomen, often reminiscent of menstrual cramps.)
- Low, dull backache
- Pelvic pressure or pain
- Vaginal spotting or bleeding
- Watery vaginal discharge (This may be amniotic fluid, which surrounds your baby in the uterus.)
If you're concerned about what you're feeling, contact your health care provider. Don't worry about mistaking false labor for the real thing.
- Lockwood CJ. Fetal fibronectin for prediction of preterm labor and delivery. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Lockwood CJ. Overview of preterm labor and delivery. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Routine tests in pregnancy. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp133.cfm. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Preterm labor. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp087.cfm. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Sanchez-Ramos L, et al. Fetal fibronectin as a short-term predictor of preterm birth in symptomatic patients: A meta-analysis. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2009;114:631.
- Murry MM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 24, 2010.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 30, 2010.
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