Researchers at Stanford have been
looking into how the microbiomes of women who deliver babies early are
different from those who have full-term births. The microbiome is a community
of microorganisms (such as bacteria) in the body. Differences in the
microbiomes of individuals may help explain why some women give birth early.
Microbiome differences may also explain other health issues, such as asthma and
inflammatory bowel disease.
Weekly samples were taken of the
bacteria from the teeth, gums, saliva, reproductive tract, and stool from 49
pregnant women. Scientists found little change in the bacterial communities in
each woman, week to week at each location. But they did find that microbial
communities in the reproductive tracts of women who delivered their babies too
soon were different from those of women who delivered full term. Those
differences were identified early in the pregnancies and continued throughout
the pregnancies.
“These findings may help us screen
women and identify and predict those who are more likely to have a baby born
too soon,” said David Relman, MD, a professor of microbiology, immunology, and
of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine and the lead
investigator for the research center on this project.
The researchers also found that the
women’s microbiomes changed immediately after they delivered their babies, and
did not revert back to pre-pregnancy patterns in some cases until at least a
year later. “This might explain why women with closely spaced pregnancies have
a higher risk of preterm birth,” said Dr. Relman.
The March of Dimes currently has
five prematurity research centers. These unique, transdisciplinary centers bring
together scientists from many diverse disciplines — geneticists, molecular
biologists, epidemiologists, engineers, computer scientists, and others — to
work together to find answers to prevent premature birth.
Questions? Text or email them to AskUs@marchofdimes.org.
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