Hormones help prevent premature birth

Scientists at the University of Glasgow, UK, say that giving pregnant women the use of Progesterone may help them avoid premature births. Progesterone is a female hormone created by the ovaries and supplied by the placenta in abundance during pregnancy.

Adolescent babies are at risk of suffering from many illnesses (Photo: TTO) Every year in the UK there are about 50,000 premature babies and they suffer from lifelong blindness, deafness and cerebral palsy. For every 14 children born, one child is born prematurely. And every year around 3000 British families suffer from the loss of their children because of premature birth.

Professor Jane Norman, the lead researcher, said: "We are investigating pregnant mothers at Glasgow Royal Hospital. What we collect will help save hundreds of young lives."

In normal delivery, lymphocytes work in the bloodstream and flow to the uterus when the mother gives birth. In some cases, this happened earlier and scientists believe that white blood cells play a key role in this.

Experiments in pregnant women show that Progesterone can block premature birth by neutralizing the activity of lymphatic cells.

Researchers estimate the need of £ 3 million to fund this project.

KHANG LINH (BBC News)