![1704-12-Adam-Woolley-and-Mukul-Sonker-Lab-0015-1080x720.jpg](https://brightspotcdn.byu.edu/dims4/default/fbe6726/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1080x720+0+0/resize/840x560!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fbrigham-young-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F5b%2Fb9%2F6e17ba02404a911efe401dc360e6%2F1704-12-adam-woolley-and-mukul-sonker-lab-0015-1080x720.jpg)
Photo by Nate Edwards
In the United States alone, a half million babies are born preterm; worldwide, the number is an estimated 15 million. Complications associated with preterm birth are the no. 1 cause of death for children under 5, and those who live often face a range of health problems.
But with help from a palm-sized plastic rectangle with a few pinholes in it, BYU researchers are hoping to minimize the problem of premature deliveries. The small chip — integrated microfluidic device if you speak chemistry — is designed to predict, with up to 90 percent accuracy, a woman’s risk for a future preterm birth.
Click here to read more.