Thanks to knowledge exchange between universities and research centres across Estonia, Belgium and the United Kingdom, more would-be parents can access cutting-edge, non-invasive techniques to help ensure successful pregnancies and healthy babies.
In 2015, the Katholieke Universiteit (KU) Leuven in Belgium and the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom joined forces with the University of Tartu in Estonia to establish a pioneering prenatal screening laboratory in the country.
By 2018, hospitals in Estonia were offering non-invasive tests to identify chromosomal abnormalities in unborn babies using a blood sample from the mother.
Before this project, Estonian women had limited options for non-invasive prenatal testing.
Samples from high-risk patients had to be analysed abroad. The only affordable alternative was amniocentesis, an invasive procedure to check if a baby has a genetic or chromosomal condition. The procedure carries a risk of miscarriage.
The project has also revolutionised pre-implantation genetic testing for couples undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF). Non-invasive single-cell analysis combined with advanced software can now predict the chances of an embryo successfully implanting and developing within the mother’s uterus, increasing the likelihood of a successful pregnancy.
Infertility is a global issue. While conditions like endometriosis contribute to 20 % of poor health among women worldwide, other causes remain elusive. In Europe and Western countries, the trend of delaying parenthood also exacerbates infertility challenges because reproductive diseases become less treatable with age.
To tackle these challenges, the project leveraged the power of international collaboration and knowledge sharing by organising training events, workshops and summer schools.
This work led to the new research laboratory for reproductive medicine in Estonia and expanded the scientific capacity of the country’s research community.
Together, the researchers continue to explore the links between female metabolic health and infertility, advancing infertility treatments and prenatal diagnostics.