Once a woman has had a pre-term birth, it’s easier to predict in subsequent pregnancies, research shows. What if there was a way to predict a pre-term birth in the first pregnancy based on heredity and DNA? One study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital looks at women and their families for markers, giving obstetricians the ability to prepare ahead of delivery.
The findings, recently published in the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology shows risks for pre-term birth established by the woman and her family history – and may help doctors better accurately advise women of their personal risk.
The study looked at women who had previously given birth and those who have never given birth. For example, if a woman had never given birth but was born preterm herself, her risk of delivering a preterm baby was 1.75-fold higher. If her sister had delivered a preterm baby, her risk was 2.25-fold higher but mothers, grandmothers and aunts history showed no significant increase in risk.
The study was conducted over a wide range of other factors; race, ethnicity, culture and socioeconomic status and while those factors also contribute to pre-term birth in different ways, researchers were able to pinpoint heritability risk.
“We know that for the majority of women who delivered a baby preterm, we cannot say that the cause of that preterm birth was in whole or in part genetics,” said Dr. Kjersti Aagaard, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Baylor and Texas Children’s Hospital, News Medical Life Sciences reports.“Rather, this study provides subtle but important clues that it is more likely the shared familial background and its exposures that render risk.” If it is determined a pregnant woman could be a risk, whether through history or DNA, what kind of preparation and technology can be used to prevent it?
The International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) suggests cervical length measurement as a physical sign of predicting preterm delivery. Measuring the cervix at the second-trimester ultrasound is one of the best predictions in a singleton pregnancy. There are several procedures that can be done to prevent or prolong a preterm delivery. Cervical cerclage is a common procedure, typically used for women who have had one or more late miscarriages in the past. A cerclage is the suturing around the cervix early-on in pregnancy providing support and preventing the cervix from opening early. The ISUOG also suggests vaginal progesterone; a hormone treatment medication, used to prevent the body from going into early labor.
Not only do women want to ensure their baby is healthy and born after developmental stages have been reached, but preterm birth is also the leading cause of neonatal mortality worldwide. The clinical, personal and economic impact makes studies on preterm birth and preventing it a focus for researchers.
Sources: News Medical Life Sciences, International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology