Is preterm birth in vitro related to genetic factors?
IVF refers to the babies stimulated by assisted reproductive technology during in vitro fertilization. With the continuous development and wide application of IVF technology, people began to pay attention to various health problems of IVF, including premature delivery. Premature delivery refers to delivery 37 weeks before pregnancy, while abnormal pregnancy refers to delivery around 40 weeks. So, is the preterm birth of IVF related to genetic factors? Next, we discussed the relationship between genetic factors and preterm birth, the preterm birth rate of test tube infants, preterm birth related gene research and clinical observation.
Relationship between genetic factors and preterm delivery
Premature birth is a complex multifactorial disease, which is affected by both environmental factors and individual genetic factors. Research shows that premature delivery is clustered in families, that is, children of premature mothers are more likely to be premature. This suggests the role of genetic factors in preterm delivery. In fact, many studies have proved that there is a high risk of family aggregation in preterm delivery, and the rate of preterm delivery will increase with the increase of the number of preterm relatives.
In addition, some gene abnormalities are also related to preterm birth. Many genes are associated with the risk of preterm birth, such as genes encoding progesterone metabolism related enzymes, genes encoding embryonic development related proteins, etc. The abnormality of these genes may lead to the disorder of maintenance mechanism during pregnancy and increase the incidence of premature delivery.
However, it should be pointed out that the occurrence of preterm birth is a complex multifactorial process, in which genetic factors are only a part and environmental factors cannot be ignored. Therefore, although genetic factors play a role in preterm birth, the occurrence of preterm birth in specific individuals still needs to take other factors into consideration.
Premature birth rate of test tube infants
Premature birth is one of the common complications in IVF. The study found that compared with natural pregnancy, the preterm birth rate of IVF was significantly increased. An American survey shows that between 2005 and 2010, the proportion of premature births of test tube babies was twice that of ordinary babies. Similarly, in a Chinese study, it was also found that the preterm birth rate of IVF was significantly higher than that of naturally pregnant infants.
The increase in preterm birth rate of test tube infants is related to many factors, including the age of the mother, pregnancy complications, multiple pregnancy, etc. Among them, multiple pregnancy is one of the main reasons for the increase in preterm birth rate of IVF infants. In IVF technology, in order to increase the success rate of pregnancy, multiple embryos are often implanted into the mother, thus increasing the incidence of multiple pregnancies, and thus increasing the risk of premature delivery.
In addition, hormone use during IVF and uterine insertion technology may also increase the risk of premature delivery. The combined effect of these factors led to a relatively high rate of preterm birth in IVF.
Study on Premature Delivery Related Genes
Researchers have conducted extensive research on preterm birth related genes, hoping to find specific genes related to preterm birth. Through genomics and genetic methods, several genetic variations related to preterm birth have been found.
Among them, a study published in the journal Nature revealed a mutation in the enzyme (PLA2G4A), a gene related to preterm birth. This mutation makes the enzyme activity significantly increased, leading to endometrial inflammation, and ultimately premature delivery.
In addition, the study also found that the mutation of the gene encoding intracellular signal transduction protein (RGS17) makes the cervix soften and increases the risk of premature delivery. Through these studies, we have a deeper understanding of the relationship between preterm birth and genetic factors.
clinical observation
Clinical observation also confirmed the relationship between preterm birth in vitro and genetic factors. For example, a retrospective analysis of a hospital in China found that in IVF, if the mother or her family had a history of preterm birth, the preterm birth rate of IVF babies was much higher than that of mothers without a history of preterm birth.
In addition, the researchers also observed that the premature delivery rate of test tube babies increased with the increase of the mother's age. This is related to the role of genetic factors, because with age, the quality of the mother's eggs will decline, thus increasing the risk of premature delivery.
In general, genetic factors play a role in IVF preterm birth, but they are not the only determinants. Environmental factors and pregnancy complications are related to preterm delivery. Therefore, in IVF technology, to reduce the occurrence of preterm birth, it is necessary to comprehensively consider genetic factors and other factors, and develop individualized prevention and treatment programs.
Summary
In conclusion, there is indeed a certain correlation between preterm birth of IVF and genetic factors. Genetic factors can lead to premature birth by influencing the maintenance mechanism during pregnancy. Compared with natural pregnancy, IVF is more likely to give birth prematurely, which is related to multiple pregnancy, hormone use and other factors. Through preterm birth related gene research and clinical observation, we further understand the relationship between preterm birth and genetic factors. Although genetic factors are only one aspect of preterm birth, it is still necessary to comprehensively consider the genetic background of individuals when formulating prevention and control programs.
