Premature birth may be due to premature activation of the fetal immune system

that pregnant women who develop inflammation as a result of the infection may activate the fetus' immune system prematurely, leading to premature birth, according to a new study published today.
pregnancy usually lasts 40 weeks. Premature birth is a birth less than 37 weeks pregnant, which is the leading cause of neonatal death or long-term complications.
researchers at the University of California, San Francisco and others tested the blood of 89 full-time women and 70 premature women, as well as the umbilical cord blood of the fetus. It was found that pre-premature children had higher levels of synth cells and effect T cells in cord blood.
, the fetus' immune system usually does not respond "exclusively" to the mother during pregnancy, the researchers said. But in the case of inflammation in pregnant women, the fetal immune system may feel certain chemicals, and the tyroblades pass the information to the effect T cells, which start to activate the defense mechanism, mistaken the parent cells as "enemies" and launch attacks. Some of the chemicals released by the fetus' immune system in the process trigger the mother's uterus to contract, which can lead to premature birth.
, an associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco, said it had been assumed that the fetus' immune system was immature and not associated with complications during pregnancy. In fact, the fetal immune system may have been activated at an earlier time, so it is necessary to analyze the risk of premature birth from this perspective. The team is looking for biomarkers in the mother's blood that can be used to determine this risk. (Source: Xinhua Zhouzhou)