Premature Birth

The Office of Public Health Genomics (OPHG) provides updated and credible information on how genomic
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Diseases of the Week

Premature Birth

• CDC information: Nearly a half million babies in the United States—that's 1 out of every 9—are born premature each year
• A risk factor for premature birth is having a previous premature birth, from the Mayo Clinic
• CDC information: Preterm birth information: My last baby was born early. Is there anything I can do in this pregnancy to keep it from happening again?
• Genetic and environmental factors both play a role in increasing the risk of prematurity
• The genomics of preterm birth: from animal models to human studies.
  Katherine Y Bezold et al. Genome Medicine 2013, 5:34 (29 April 2013)
• Since 2001, 461 genes have been reported in relation to risk of premature birth including 115 genomewide association studies To find out more, visit the HuGE Navigator