Scientists Shed Light On Potential Cause Of Premature Birth

Bacteria in a woman's vagina and cervix may increase the risk of premature birth or protect against it, according to new research. Groundbreaking results from a new study by the University of Pennsylvania's school of medicine suggest that doctors could learn how to prevent premature birth, either by eliminating 'bad' bacteria, or increasing the 'protective' good bacteria in a woman's vagina and cervix. Premature birth (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) is the leading cause of death in children under the age of five around the world. Babies who survive an early birth often face serious and lifelong health problems, including breathing problems, jaundice, vision loss, cerebral palsy and intellectual delays. Professor Michal Elovitz, director of the Maternal and Child Health Research Centre, says that there are underlying causes of premature birth that doctors still don't understand:

"Decoding the causes of prematurity has been a riddle that's stumped researchers and clinicians for years, but our new study is finally shedding some light on a path toward offering treatment to women we can identify as being at-risk."

Researchers examined vaginal swabs from a sample of 2,000 pregnant women, taken at three distinct points in pregnancy, to determine the types of bacteria that were present. Analysis showed that among the many specific types of bacteria, some actually lowered the risk of spontaneous premature birth, while others significantly increased the risk. Professor Elovitz says the breakthrough information is the result of a multidisciplinary team of experts from immunology and microbiology coming together and taking a new approach to the issue, examining the cervix and vagina instead of limiting the scope of their study to the uterus. The authors say that more research is required to confirm the findings, but if proven, it could mean treatments targeting 'bad' cervical bacteria, or replenishing 'good' bacteria could be used to prevent premature birth in the immediate future. Are you a mum to a premie? Let us know your experiences in the Facebook comments or join the conversation on Twitter @HerFamilydotie