Genetics of Preterm births

Babies born any time after 37 weeks of pregnancy are “full term.” A “preterm” baby is born before 37 weeks. Preterm births are the leading cause of new born death world-wide. But, we do not know much about why this is. Doctors may induce labor for the safety of the baby or the mother. But most of the time, preterm births just happen. There is no warning. This makes it hard to treat. Scientists know that genes and gene changes play a role. Almost half of what causes babies to come early is due to genetics. But, finding out which genes or gene changes play a part is hard. We know some, but there is more to discover. Scientists at Vanderbilt University Medical Center will use BioVU to study preterm births. First, they will look for women who have had preterm babies. They will separate women who had other reasons for having a baby early from those who did not. Then they will look for a link between certain genes or gene changes and these preterm births. All this data will help them find a “genetic risk score.” That will help them figure out who might be at risk for having a preterm birth. Their results may help us find a way to treat women at risk. The goal is to reduce new born deaths. This might be to help babies be stronger who are born early. Or finding a way to stop them being born early.