New Research Illuminates How The Genomes Of Mothers And Children Impact Pregnancy Length
A recent international study conducted with the support of the University of Gothenburg in Sweden has illuminated new information about the genetic factors underlying gestational duration and premature delivery.
The findings centered around how, prior to birth, a mother and her unborn child’s genes have mutually conflicting effects.
The study’s results now have the potential to enhance the development of drugs that induce delivery, as well as prevent preterm births.
“The results have given us more routes to understanding how labor is initiated, both at full term and in premature labor,” Jacobsson said.
Around the globe, preterm birth is the most frequent cause of immediate death among both newborns and kids up to the age of 5 years old. And the earlier a mother gives birth, the higher this risk grows.
Most childbirths occur during week 39 or 40 of gestation. However, preterm births refer to any delivery that occurs prior to the 37th week of gestation.
The study, led by Bo Jacobsson, included 90 researchers from an international network known as the Early Growth Genetics Consortium (EGG). As for participants, 279,043 individuals from over 20 international birth cohorts were included.
The researchers aimed to determine whether an individual’s gestational period was determined by the genes of the mother or the genes of the fetus.
So, they analyzed 136,833 cases that involved either both parents and their children or just mothers and their children. According to the team, this allowed them to distinguish the effects of mothers’ and children’s genomes more precisely.
kuznetsov_konsta – stock.adobe.com – illustrative purposes only, not the actual person
“In samples, we were able to identify numerous previously undiscovered genetic variants associated with the timing of parturition, and these provide unmatched insights into the underlying biological mechanisms,” Jacobsson noted.
And interestingly, the researchers found that there may be a conflict between mothers’ and children’s genomes in terms of gestational duration.
“Genetically, the woman’s genes favor the earlier onset of labor to expel the child, for her own survival, while those of the unborn child favor extension of the pregnancy to gain weight. So, they reach a kind of compromise deal,” explained Pol Solé Navais, the study’s first author.
So, moving forward, the research could serve two major purposes: aiding the development of drugs that prevent preterm birth and boosting or mitigating contractions during delivery.
To read the study’s complete findings, which have since been published in Nature Genetics, visit the link here.
If true crime defines your free time, this is for you: join Chip Chick’s True Crime Tribe
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.
More About:Science