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The heritability of preterm delivery.

Kenneth Ward1, VeeAnn Argyle, Mary Meade

  • 1Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, Women's Health and the Pacific Research Center for Early Human Development, University of Hawai'i, John A. Burns School of Medicine, Honolulu, Hawai'i, USA.

Obstetrics and Gynecology
|December 2, 2005
PubMed
Summary

This study confirms preterm delivery has a familial component. Preterm delivery probands showed significantly higher kinship coefficients compared to controls, indicating a genetic link.

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Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Reproductive Medicine
  • Genealogy

Background:

  • Preterm delivery is a significant global health concern.
  • Understanding the heritability of preterm delivery is crucial for identifying at-risk pregnancies.
  • Previous studies suggest a familial aggregation of preterm birth, but robust genetic evidence is needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the heritability of preterm delivery.
  • To quantify the genetic relatedness among families with a history of preterm birth.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized an extensive genealogy database (GenDB) with over 9,000 sources and 17.5 million individuals.
  • Identified 28 families with probands experiencing preterm delivery and at least five affected relatives.
  • Calculated pairwise coefficients of kinship for grandparents of probands and control individuals.

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Main Results:

  • Preterm delivery probands exhibited kinship coefficients over 50 standard deviations higher than controls (3.4 x 10^5 vs 1.5 x 10^6).
  • This indicates a strong familial aggregation and heritability of preterm delivery.
  • Probands were eighth-degree relatives on average, compared to 23rd-degree relatives in the general population.

Conclusions:

  • The study confirms the significant familial nature of preterm delivery.
  • Genetic factors play a substantial role in the etiology of preterm birth.
  • A genome-wide scan is currently underway to identify specific genes associated with preterm delivery.