Genes Effect Preterm Birth
After researchers conducted a study analyzing the number of
copies of certain genes in hundreds of babies and their mothers, it was
discovered that some babies’ genes may increase their risk of preterm
birth. A preterm birth that occurs
before 37 weeks of pregnancy is classified as a preterm birth, and a birth that
occurs before 34 weeks is an early preterm birth. Babies born prematurely are at risk of having
health problems such as brain damage, asthma, and problems with vision.
Though there was no link between the number
of genes in the mothers and the risk of a preterm birth, the risk of birth before
34 weeks increased two to eleven times if any of four specific genes were duplicated,
or if any of seven specific genes were deleted.
Dr. Joseph Biggio, of the University of Alabama explains that the
differences of number of copies of the genes may put a baby at a higher risk of
infection or other factors, which trigger preterm birth, instead of the
differences directly trigging a preterm birth.
He also says the findings could help explain why treatment for
preventing preterm births with the hormone progesterone, only works on about
one-third of pregnant women. Progesterone is a hormone that a woman’s body makes
during pregnancy. Extra progesterone for some women can help to prevent preterm
birth. However, it was originally
thought the mother was being treated with this hormone, but Biggio says perhaps
the baby is the one being treated.
With this new information, many
positive effects will follow. Dr. Edward
McCabe, the March of Dimes Chief Officer, states that the finding may help
explain what triggers early labor despite an overall healthy and normal
pregnancy, and hopefully one day lead to a screening test to help identify
which babies are at a higher risk of an early birth.
I believe this a significant
discovery in the medical world. There
are more than 450,000 preterm births in the United States each year, preterm
birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and many babies who survive an
early birth suffer from long-term health problems. These findings can now give us hope that this
overwhelming high number of deaths will decrease in the future, and many lives
of babies will be saved. Also, it will
help eliminate and prevent children from growing up without long-term medical
problems that may occur preterm births.
Original: http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2015/02/02/certain-genes-in-babies-may-up-preterm-birth-risk
Additional: http://mombaby.org/PDF/17P%20Factsheet.pdf
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