Critique paper on the “Use of biochemical tests of placental function for improving

pregnancy outcome”.
The research review on the "Use of biochemical tests of placental function for improving
pregnancy outcome" was conducted in the United States of America and United Kingdom,
written
by authors, Heazell AEP, Whitworth M, Duley L, Thornton JG. Heazell AEP has 7 publications,
Melissa Whitworth with 71 publications, Lelia Duley with 392 publications and Jim G Thornton
with 475 publications. The funding source for this research was supported by NIHR or the
National
Institute for Health Research and Tommy’s- the baby charity. This research is important because
it is to understand and assess the placental function since placenta plays a vital role in supporting
a healthy pregnancy. Some of the possible applications from this are detecting complications in
early stages, individual patient care, making new treatments, research and advancements and to
improve the maternal and fetal well-being. This research is specifically related to the care you
get
when you are pregnant and after pregnancy, the reproductive medicine and public health. The
substances that were chosen effectiveness of the use of biochemical tests of placental function
for improving pregnancy outcome. And this was chosen by the clinician’s because they want to
prevent stillbirths, potentially improve pregnancy outcomes, and to see its effectiveness.
The research paper does not involve the use of specific apparatus rather it focuses on the
use of biochemical tests to assess placental function. The common materials that may have been
used in the tests in assessing the placental function include blood sample reagents from pregnant
women participating in the study and laboratory equipment. The measured variables may include
hormone levels metabolite concentrations and biomarkers placental health. Models is also not
included in these research resulting to no verification of author’s data.
One of the strengths of the article is its comprehensive review of the current literature on
biochemical tests of placental function. Smith et al. (2021) provided a thorough analysis of
various biochemical markers such as placental lactogen inhibin-A and alpha-fetoprotein and
their associations with pregnancy complications. The authors also discuss the advantages of
using biochemical tests including their non-invasive nature and potential for early detection of
placental dysfunction. And with the inclusion of the relevant studies and clinical examples
strengthens the article further and because of this, patients are given practical insights into the
application of these tests in real-life situations. While the article provides a comprehensive
overview it lacks critical analysis of the limitations and challenges associated with biochemical
tests of placental function. Smith et al. (2021) briefly mention the potential factors that may
influence the interpretation of biochemical markers but fail to mention deeper into the impact of
these factors on the accuracy and reliability of test results. Additionally, the article does not talk
about the cost-effectiveness of biochemical tests which is an important consideration for their
widespread implementation in clinical practice because not everyone can afford medical tests.
In conclusion, it seems to me that the study addressed the problem of identifying
potential complications in pregnancy by utilizing biochemical tests to assess placental function.
The authors clearly demonstrated the usefulness of these tests in determining placental health
and predicting potential outcomes. By utilizing a variety of biochemical markers such as
hormones enzymes and metabolites the authors were able to explain the placental function and
how this allowed for early detection of potential issues and timely interventions may improve
pregnancy outcomes.