Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39358906›Full record

ArticleBJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology2025

Fetal Fraction of Cell-Free DNA in the Prediction of Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes: A Nationwide Retrospective Cohort Study.

Ellis C Becking, Mireille N Bekker, Jens Henrichs, Caroline J Bax, Erik A Sistermans, Lidewij Henneman, Peter G Scheffer, Ewoud Schuit

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Fetal Heart Rate at 12 Weeks' Gestation and the Risk of Preterm Birth: A Prospective Validation Study.Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Ellis C BeckingDepartment of Obstetrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0418-7880
Mireille N BekkerDepartment of Obstetrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7372-4291
Jens HenrichsDepartment of Midwifery Science, Amsterdam UMC, Location Vrije Universiteit, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2238-4060
Caroline J BaxDepartment of Obstetrics, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8150-2835
Erik A SistermansAmsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7187-4563
Lidewij HennemanAmsterdam Reproduction and Development Research Institute, Amsterdam UMC, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3531-0597
Peter G SchefferDepartment of Obstetrics, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9253-5341
Ewoud SchuitJulius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, University Medical Center Utrecht, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9548-3214

Funding

Netherlands Organization for Health Research and Development (No:43002014)
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo assess the added value of fetal fraction of cell-free DNA in the maternal circulation in the prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes.

designRetrospective cohort study.

settingNationwide implementation study on non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT; TRIDENT-2 study). POPULATION: Pregnant women in the Netherlands opting for NIPT between June 2018 and June 2019.

methodsTwo logistic regression prediction models were constructed for each adverse pregnancy outcome. The first model (base model) included prognostic clinical parameters that were selected from existing first-trimester prediction models for adverse pregnancy outcomes. The second model (fetal fraction model) included fetal fraction as a predictor on top of the prognostic clinical parameters included in the base model. The added prognostic value of fetal fraction was assessed by comparing the base and fetal fraction models in terms of goodness of fit and predictive performance.

main outcome measuresLikelihood ratio test (LRT), area under the curve (AUC) and Integrated Discrimination Improvement (IDI) index.

resultsThe study cohort consisted of 56 110 pregnancies. The incidence of adverse pregnancy outcomes was 5.7% for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (HDP; n = 3207), 10.2% for birthweight < p10 (n = 5726), 3.2% for birthweight < p2.3 (n = 1796), 3.4% for spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB; n = 1891), 3.4% for diabetes (n = 1902) and 1.3% for congenital anomalies (n = 741). Adding fetal fraction to the base model improved model fit for HDP, birthweight < p10, birthweight < p2.3, all sPTB, and diabetes, but not for congenital anomalies (LRT p < 0.05). For HDP, the AUC improved from 0.67 to 0.68 by adding fetal fraction to the base model (p = 0.14) with an IDI of 0.0018 (p < 0.0001). For birthweight < p10, the AUC improved from 0.65 to 0.66 (p < 0.0001) with an IDI of 0.0023 (p < 0.0001). For birthweight < p2.3, the AUC improved from 0.67 to 0.69 (p < 0.0001) with an IDI of 0.0011 (p < 0.0001). For all sPTB, the AUC was similar for both models (AUC 0.63, p = 0.021) with an IDI of 0.00028 (p = 0.0023). For diabetes, the AUC was similar (AUC 0.72, p = 0.35) with an IDI of 0.00055 (p = 0.00015).

conclusionsFetal fraction has statistically significant but limited prognostic value in the prediction of adverse pregnancy outcomes in addition to known prognostic clinical parameters.

Indexed as

Cell-Free Nucleic AcidsPregnancy OutcomeAdultCohort StudiesFemaleFetusHumansLogistic ModelsNetherlandsNoninvasive Prenatal TestingPredictive Value of TestsPregnancyPremature BirthPrognosisRetrospective StudiesCell-Free Nucleic Acidsadverse pregnancy outcomesfetal fractionnon‐invasive prenatal testingprediction

Identifiers

PMID39358906
PMCPMC11704031

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.