Bacteria linked to premature birth

A major cause of premature birth – where waters
break too soon, triggering labour – may be caused
by specific bacteria, according to research.
The research could lead to screening and possible
treatment for women at risk of early labour, says a
US team.

The findings, published in the journal PLOS ONE,
suggest 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.
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.”
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.”