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细菌可能与孕妇早产相关

  1. 早产儿
  2. 细菌
  3. 羊膜破裂

来源:生物谷 2014-01-13 11:33

2014年1月12日讯 /生物谷BIOON/ --婴儿早产是一个严重问题,它会对孕妇及婴儿造成终生影响。而早产儿产生的一个重要原因是羊膜提前破裂。

根据美国杜克大学医学院最近发表在Plos One杂志上的研究显示,细菌感染可能与这种类型的早产儿产生有直接关系。根据该研究团队对48名刚刚产下婴儿的孕妇进行检测,这些孕妇中既包括正常孕期的孕妇也包括早产儿孕妇。检测显示几乎所有孕妇羊膜上都有细菌的痕迹,然而细菌越多,羊膜就越薄。研究人员据此猜测某些特定的细菌可能会导致胎儿周围的羊膜变薄,增大这些羊膜提前破裂的概率并最终导致胎儿过早出生。

负责这项研究的Amy Murtha表示,这一研究可能根据细菌数量开发出新的检测孕妇早产风险的检测方法和相应的治疗方法,具有重要意义。(生物谷Bioon.com)

详细英文报道:

Premature birth can have long-term health effects for both mothers and children

A major cause of premature birth - where waters break too soon, triggering labour - may be caused by specific bacteria, according to research.

The findings could lead to screening and possible treatment for women at risk of early labour, says a US team.

The study, published in the journal PLOS ONE, suggests certain bacteria may lead to thinning of the membranes around the baby, causing them to tear.

Early rupture of membranes causes almost a third of all premature births.

The membranes that make up the sac that holds the baby usually break at the start of labour.

If a mother's waters break before the baby has reached full term, the medical term is preterm premature rupture of the membranes (PPROM).

If this happens early, before contractions start, it can - but does not always - trigger early labour.

Researchers at Duke University School of Medicine have found high numbers of bacteria at the site where membranes rupture, which are linked with the thinning of membranes.

If the bacteria are the cause rather than the consequence of early membrane rupture, it may be possible to develop new treatments or screen for women at risk, they say.

Study author Amy Murtha, associate professor of obstetrics and gynaecology at Duke University School of Medicine, said: "For instance, if we think that certain bacteria are associated with premature rupturing of the membranes, we can screen for this bacteria early in pregnancy.

"We then might be able to treat affected women with antibiotics and reduce their risk for PPROM.

"Our research is several steps away from this, but it gives us opportunities to explore potential targeted therapeutic interventions, which we lack in obstetrics."

Missing link

The researchers examined membrane samples in 48 women who had just given birth, including those with PPROM, those who had an early birth for other reasons, and those with babies born at full term.

The researchers found bacteria were present in all membranes, but the more bacteria present, the thinner the membranes, especially in women with PPROM.

Commenting on the study, Dr Patrick O'Brien, from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, said it had been known for a while that bacterial infection was responsible for PPROM in some women.

He told BBC News: "We've long suspected and known that bacteria are involved in a large proportion of these women. What we really need to know now is to understand the detailed mechanism of how bacteria cause the waters to break."

Duncan Wilbur, head of communications at the UK premature baby charity Bliss, added: "We welcome any research that helps us better understand the causes of preterm birth and identify those women at high risk.

"This study's findings are really interesting and more research needs to be done to find treatments that will help prevention of premature birth."

 

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