Scientists have identified a higher number of pathogenic bacteria in placentas from the women who delivered prematurely. They are of an assumption that maternal infection might have caused preterm birth i.e. less than 37 weeks gestation. According to previous studies the microbes are generally non-pathogenic, but variations in their composition could be the root cause of some pregnancy disorders such as preterm birth, which occurs in one out of every ten pregnancies.
The researches have also compared the microbiomes of placenta with those found in vagina, gut, mouth and on the skin of non-pregnant women. They estimated that such microbiomes are similar to those found in the mouth and also found that these microbes travel from the mouth up to the placenta via blood. The analysis suggests a link between periodontal disease in the pregnant mother and the risk of preterm birth. According to…
