CHICAGO, Aug. 22 (UPI) -- U.S. researchers say they have discovered a gene variation linked to an increased risk of premature birth among African-American women.
The study, reported online by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, focuses on a a gene that directs the production of collagen, a key component of the amniotic sac in a pregnant woman's uterus, the Chicago Tribune said.
Researchers said women with the variant gene are more prone to premature rupture of membranes. The ruptures are more common among African-Americans, as is the variant gene, the study said.
Dr. Jerome Strauss III, lead author of the study and dean of the medicine school at Virginia Commonwealth University, said the study isn't saying that the gene causes prematurity but that it could be a contributor, the Tribune said.
Dr. Roberto Romero, chief of perinatology research at the
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, said the premature rupture of membranes is responsible for about 40 percent of premature births in the United States, more than any other cause, the newspaper said.
