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Hormone may block premature birth
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Prematurity carries many health risks
Scientists believe giving pregnant women the hormone progesterone
may reduce the risk of a premature birth.
A team at Glasgow University are to test whether the hormone can
prevent women going into labour too early.
Around 50,000 babies are born too soon every year in the UK, and
can suffer life-long difficulties such as blindness, deafness and
cerebral palsy.
The reasons are largley unknown, but there is some evidence to
suggest progesterone can reduce the risk.
The more routes we find to preventing prematurity then the greater
the chance of saving lives and preventing lifelong illness
Andrew Proctor
Progesterone is a female hormone made in the ovaries and produced
by the placenta in large quantities during pregnancy.
Lead researcher Professor Jane Norman said: "We're going to
be studying mothers at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the increase
in knowledge that this will give us could help in developing new
treatments that will save lives.
"In normal labour, white blood cells are activated in the
bloodstream and migrate to the womb during the birthing process.
"Sometimes this can happen too soon and we believe that these
cells might play a key role in triggering pre-term labour.
"If this is the case then progesterone could stop this from
happening by blocking the activation of white blood cells."
Campaign
Action Medical Research is running a project called the Touching
Tiny Lives Campaign which is designed to find ways to prevent premature
birth.
It is hoped to raise £3 million to fund research into this
area.
Andrew Proctor, a spokesman for the charity, said: "The more
routes we find to preventing prematurity then the greater the chance
of saving lives and preventing lifelong illness.
"With one in every 14 babies being born too soon and more
than 3,000 UK families devastated by the death of a baby every year
this is an area of research that needs urgent attention.
"Doctors tell us that they are close to cures for prematurity
but their only barrier is funding."
A spokeswoman for the premature baby charity Bliss said research
into ways to minimise the risk was essential to relieve pressure
on neonatal services.
"With more and more babies being born prematurely or sick
every year in the United Kingdom, the neonatal service is over-stretched
and struggling to cope with the incredible demand being placed on
it.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/4731426.stm
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