Larry Rand

Especially in low - and middle-income countries with really high preterm birth rates and huge neonatal mortality rates, one of the biggest problems is, there is no ultrasound, and women are not empowered to keep track of their last menstrual cycle. It's often taboo to keep track of or talk about your period, that is one of the biggest problems we have worldwide, and lots of folks have been working on trying to find another way -- ideally an inexpensive test -- to figure out what the gestational age is for any given pregnancy.

On the flip side, in terms of predicting( medically) indicated preterm birth, what you're really predicting is the likelihood that mom or baby will develop a complication like preeclampsia or growth restriction that may require ending the pregnancy early in order to keep mom and baby safe.