QuiPP: A tool to help specialists anticipate premature “Birth risks”.

Doctors need a simple way to know if a pregnant woman might give birth early. A new app called QuiPP can help. It was built at King’s College London. Two big studies tested it with women who were at high risk.

What is the QuiPP tool?

QuiPP is a computer program. It looks at three things:

• How long earlier pregnancies lasted
• The length of the cervix (the opening at the bottom of the womb)
• Levels of a protein called fetal fibronectin

These three numbers are put together in a formula. The formula gives a risk score. A higher score means a higher chance of a preterm birth.

How does QuiPP predict risk?

Doctors already measure the cervix with an ultrasound. They also test the mother’s blood or vaginal fluid for fetal fibronectin. The length of past pregnancies is written in the medical record. QuiPP takes all three pieces of information and runs them through its calculation.

The result is easy to read. It tells the doctor if the woman is low, medium, or high risk. This helps the doctor decide what care the woman needs.

Study 1 – Women with a previous preterm birth

The first study looked at women who had given birth early before. They were called “high‑risk” because of that history, even if they felt fine now.

Researchers collected data from 1,249 women who visited pre‑term surveillance clinics. They split the women into two groups.

• The first 624 women were used to build the QuiPP model.
• The next 625 women were used to test the model.

The study was published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. It showed that QuiPP could tell which women were likely to deliver early again.

Study 2 – Women with early‑labour symptoms

The second study focused on women who felt signs of early labour, such as contractions, but many of them do not end up delivering early.

Data came from 382 high‑risk women. Again the researchers split the group.

• The first 190 women helped create the model.
• The remaining 192 women were used to validate it.

This study was also published in Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. It proved that QuiPP works even when women show early‑labour symptoms.

Why doctors need better prediction tools

Preterm birth means a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Babies born early can have health problems, need special care, and may stay in hospital longer.

Right now, doctors rely on signs that may appear late, or on tests that are not always clear. Many women who show early‑labour signs do not actually deliver early, and many who feel fine may still deliver early.

Having a reliable tool like QuiPP means doctors can:

• Give extra care to women who truly need it.
• Avoid unnecessary treatment for women who are low risk.
• Plan better for the baby’s health, such as arranging a neonatal unit if needed.

Professor Andrew Shennan, lead creator and professor of obstetrics at King’s College London, said, “Doctors need reliable methods for foreseeing whether a lady is at risk of conceiving an offspring early. It can be hard to precisely evaluate a lady’s risk, given that numerous ladies who show side effects of preterm work don’t go ahead to deliver early.”

How QuiPP could be used in a clinic

1. A pregnant woman comes for a routine check.
2. The nurse measures the cervix with an ultrasound.
3. A small sample is taken to test fetal fibronectin.
4. The doctor enters the three numbers into the QuiPP app.
5. The app shows a risk score.
6. The doctor decides the next steps based on the score.

This process takes only a few minutes and uses tests that are already part of many prenatal visits.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a preterm birth?

A preterm birth happens when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Babies born early may need extra help breathing, eating, or staying warm.

What does fetal fibronectin tell doctors?

Fetal fibronectin is a protein that can be found in the vagina when the body is getting ready for labour. High levels can mean labour may start soon.

Can QuiPP replace a doctor’s judgment?

No. QuiPP is a tool that gives extra information. The doctor still looks at the whole picture before making a decision.

Is QuiPP safe for all pregnant women?

QuiPP only uses information that is already collected in normal care. It does not add any risk to the mother or baby.

Conclusion

The QuiPP tool, created at King’s College London, combines three simple measurements to predict the chance of a preterm birth. Two large studies, each with more than 300 women, showed that the tool works well for women with a past early birth and for women who feel early‑labour signs.

Because preterm birth can cause serious health problems for babies, having a reliable and quick way to spot risk is very important. QuiPP gives doctors a clear score, helping them give the right care at the right time. As more clinics adopt the tool, more mothers and babies could benefit from early and accurate support.