Church & Dwight, Co., Inc. announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has cleared the First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test which can determine pregnancy up to six days before the day of a woman's missed period.

First Response Early Results Pregnancy Test now has patent pending technology that can detect the pregnancy hormone, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), up to six days before the day of a woman's missed period with unsurpassed accuracy -- one day before any other at-home pregnancy test available on the market.

"A pregnancy test with results this early sets the stage for a healthy baby and a healthy mother. This latest advancement means pregnant women can initiate a healthier lifestyle even sooner in the critical first stages of a baby's development," said Mary Jane Minkin, board-certified obstetrician/gynaecologist in private practice in New Haven, Connecticut, and a Clinical Professor of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Yale University School of Medicine. "Women who want results quickly will undoubtedly have less anxiety when taking this at-home test."

First Response pregnancy kits work by detecting the presence of the pregnancy hormone (hCG) in a woman's urine. HCG begins to appear in a pregnant woman eight to 10 days after fertilization. The amount of hCG doubles every 36-48 hours as the pregnancy progresses. And now with patent pending Polymeric Amplification Technology (PAT) that only First Response has, First Response can detect the pregnancy hormone at lower levels than ever before.

"Every woman who's thinking of having a baby should visit her physician before getting pregnant to discuss preconception care," said Janis Biermann, senior vice president, Education and Health Promotion, March of Dimes. "We also recommend that women visit the March of Dimes Web site, www.marchofdimes.com, where you can learn more about how to have a healthy baby. And the sooner a woman knows she is pregnant, the sooner she can initiate early prenatal care to give her baby the healthiest start."

First Response works when a woman's urine comes in contact with a specially treated strip in the plastic housing of the pregnancy test device. After three minutes, the test result appears in the housing window on the stick. Two pink lines indicate that hCG has been detected (pregnant); one pink line indicates that hCG has not been detected (not pregnant). The patent pending Polymeric Amplification Technology (PAT) has increased the overall sensitivity of the device, resulting in better detection of the pregnancy hormone.

For over 25 years, the makers of First Response have been a pioneer in women's health with a portfolio of innovative pregnancy and ovulation at-home test kits. First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test is the earliest at-home test on the market and detects the pregnancy hormone hCG earlier than ever before. To help women get pregnant sooner* there is the First Response Easy-Read Ovulation Test to determine their best time to try to get pregnant and First Response Fertility Test for Women to help determine a women's ability to get pregnant by testing for FSH levels.

Church and Dwight, Co., Inc., headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey, distributes First Response Early Result Pregnancy Test and other First Response products, including First Response Gold Digital, First Response Rapid Result Pregnancy Test, First Response Easy Read Ovulation Test, First Response Daily Ovulation Test, First Response Fertility Test for Women, and Answer Pregnancy and Ovulation Tests.

The March of Dimes is the leading non-profit organization for pregnancy and baby health. With chapters nationwide and its premier event, March for Babies, the March of Dimes works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality.