Article Summary #10

Author Unknown. Premature birth gene clue found. BBC News. 5 Feb 2010.

The US National Institutes of Health study found the variants in DNA differences which appear to affect the risk of giving birth early in both babies and mothers. Premature births account for 7 percent of UK births. Premature births are inadequately understood, making infections and other medical complications blamed. A study done looked at 700 DNA variants in 190 genes in women who delivered early, and also who carried their baby to term. It was found that the babies who carried a DNA variant for the gene Interleukin 6 receptor were more likely to be born early. Interleukin 6 is produced by cells in response to infection and is involved in inflammation. High levels of this in the amniotic fluid and fetal blood have been linked to the onset of premature labor.

Dr. Romero led the study and said that the hypothesis was that the mother and/or fetus signal the onset of the preterm labor when the environment inside the uterus is unfavorable and threatens the survival of the maternal-fetal pair. The onset of premature labor happens when the infection in the uterus is apparent and the body goes into survival mode. This allows the mother to rid herself of the infection, thus allowing her to have the ability to have future pregnancies.