Will science soon be able to prevent prematurity? Today in France, one in seven babies is born prematurely, i.e. before the 37th week of pregnancy. While these too early births can have a multitude of causes, an American study reveals that some of them are potentially linked to the presence of non-organic chemicals in the mother’s vagina.
Chemicals in the vagina of mothers of premature babies
The vaginal metabolome is the set of molecules present in the intimate flora. Also called metabolites, these molecules are naturally present in the human body or of external origin.
A team of American scientists followed 237 pregnant women, from the second trimester until delivery, to try to establish a link between the composition of the vaginal metabolome and premature birth. Scientists have identified over 700 different metabolites. The 80 women in the study who gave birth prematurely also had a particularly high rate of molecules derived from inorganic chemicals.
If the origin of these chemical residues has not yet been clearly identified, they are found in many hygiene products.
Prevent prematurity
Every year in France, 7% of babies are born before the 37th week of pregnancy and prematurity remains the leading cause of infant death. The origin of some of these early births is clearly identified (disease, rupture of the fluid bag, multiple pregnancies), but this is not always the case.
The link between chemicals in mothers’ vaginas and their babies’ prematurity is still at the suspected stage, and more research is needed to confirm or disprove this theory. If the results are conclusive, it will therefore be possible to prevent premature pregnancies by avoiding exposure to the offending products. It will also be possible to analyze the maternal metabolome from the beginning of pregnancy in order to detect worrying levels of external metabolites and act accordingly during gestation.
Photo credit image of one: Getty Images Signature
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
