Hidden Bacteria Risk for Preterm Births
By NESITA KWAN
Updated 3:18 PM CST, Mon, Jan 26, 2009
Using new technology, scientists are discovering why some women are having preterm babies even though tests haven't turned up the inflammation that led to the deliveries.
Genetic tests show that more than half of the inflammation-causing bacteria in a woman's inner womb is not being found by traditional lab cultures. It's those hidden bacteria that they say can set off spontaneous births of preterm babies at less than 32 weeks.
The bacteria reach the placenta either through the genital tract or through the blood, causing an infection and inflammation. The research was done at Case Western Reserve University and Yale University.
The hope is that new tests can eventually be developed to find and treat the bacteria before it can cause a premature birth.
First Published: Jan 7, 2009 12:23 PM CST
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