No abstract

No abstract

Objective: To evaluate if fetal fraction (FF) reported on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) screening is a marker for adverse obstetric outcomes. Methods:We retrospectively reviewed medical records from a cohort of women with singleton pregnancies who had cfDNA screening. We evaluated if reported FF could predict the following pregnancy complications: hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP), fetal growth restriction, preterm delivery, gestational diabetes mellitus, or a composite maternal morbidity, defined as the presence of at least one of these outcomes.Results: Receiver operating curve analysis was performed on FF from 534 women to define the FF that differentiated a low FF group (<10%; N = 259) and a high FF group (≥10%; N = 275). Hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were more common for women in the low FF group (32.0% vs. 11.6% and p < 0.001), who had a two-fold odds of developing HDP (p = 0.006). Composite maternal morbidity was also more common for women in the low FF group (51.4% vs. 30.2% and p < 0.001), who had a 1.7-fold odds of developing any of the adverse obstetrical outcomes (p = 0.014). Conclusion:We found that low FF on cfDNA screening is associated with an increased risk of HDP. Fetal fraction reported that cfDNA screening reports have potential as a predictive marker for the development of HDP and adverse outcomes. Key pointsWhat is already known about this topic? � Analysis of cell-free DNA circulating in maternal blood is used for noninvasive prenatal screening for fetal aneuploidies. � The fetal fraction (FF) is the proportion of circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) that is of fetal (placental) origin. � Several maternal and fetal factors such as maternal weight and fetal gestational age can affect FF. Deeksha Madala, Mohamad Ali Maktabi contributed equally to the work.

No abstract