Microalbumin as a marker of premature delivery

OBJECTIVE: To determine if microalbumin excretion can predict the development of premature delivery. METHODS: The possibility of predicting, early in pregnancy, the development of a preterm delivery using urinary albumin was investigated in 1422 nulliparous women recruited prospectively. A first morning urine sample was collected at three occasions during pregnancy (8-14, 15-24, 25-34 weeks' gestation) for the determination of urinary albumin excretion. RESULTS: No significant correlation was found between gestational age and urinary albumin (absolute concentration, albumin-creatinine ratio, or relative clearance of albumin) at either visit (r ranging from -0.043 to 0.036; P > .1). The incidence of preterm birth was similar for the first and fourth quartiles of the urinary albumin-creatine ratio for the second visit (5.8 and 5.7%, respectively). CONCLUSION: Urinary albumin is not a useful marker of preterm birth in a low-risk general population.