Predict premature birth in pregnant women
Scientists have discovered a variant of gene that can help predict the risk of premature birth in pregnant women.
The discovery also helps explain why American and African women usually have higher possibility of premature delivery than European women do.
Premature born children have more problems of health such as harder to learn, respiration disorder, decrease in eyesight and hearing. There are some factors that can predict the chance of premature delivery. However, until now no reasons are exact. If doctors are warned about the possibility of premature birth of a pregnant woman, they can give suitable treatment to reduce all risks to a child to a minimum.
Doctor Jerome Strauss of Virginia Commonwealth University tested a gene named SERPINH1 - which controls the production of protein collagen, the main element of many tissues, including cartilage, ligament, tendon, bone and teeth. He recognized a change of this gene makes it to produce less collagen.
That maybe the key factor that makes placenta weaker, fragile and hence leads to premature birth.
"This can be the evidence that heredity can result in complication when bearing, and hereditary factors will create race differences in the possibility of premature birth", Strauss said.
"With better knowledge of gene changes, we can realize which pregnant women will have the chance of premature birth and intervene to prevent it".
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