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Oral bacteria linked to premature birth

CLEVELAND, April 6 (UPI) -- Using DNA fingerprinting to find bacteria that cannot be cultured and grown in the lab, U.S. researchers linked oral bacteria and premature birth.

Researchers at Case Western Reserve University School of Dental Medicine and the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at MetroHealth Medical Center in Cleveland discovered the first-found link in a human between bacteria found in the mouth and the amniotic fluid of a woman in pre-term labor.

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Yiping Han, the lead researcher and a Case microbiologist in the Department of Biological Sciences at the Case School of Dental Medicine, found the link during a pilot study of 34 women undergoing amniocentesis at MetroHealth.

Han said the infections play a bigger role in premature deliveries prior to 30 weeks than those that happen later in pregnancy and can result in babies born with many health challenges and who struggle to thrive at their low-birth weights.

The findings are published in the Journal of Clinical Microbiology online.

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