تحليل اللعاب يساعد في القضاء على خطر الولادة المبكرة

تحليل اللُّعاب يُساعد في القضاء على خطر الولادة المبكِّرة

المصدر: موقع ديلي ميل

الكاتبة: جيني هوب

مترجمة للألوكة من اللغة الإنجليزية

كشفتْ إحْدى الدِّراسات المتأخِّرة عن أنَّه من الممكن القضاء على خطر الولادة المبكِّرة قبل النموّ الكامل للجنين، من خلال إجراء تَحليل طبي للُّعاب.

وأشارت المصادر الطبِّية إلى أنَّه - ولأوَّل مرَّة - من الممكن التعرُّف على ذلك من خلال تحاليل اللعاب، وأنَّ التَّحليل عبارة عن معرفة نسبة هرمون البرجيسترون، والَّذي يساعد في منْع الرَّحم من الانقباض لعمليَّة إنزال الجنين قبل تمام أرْبعين أسبوعًا، وأنَّه إذا ثبت انخفاض معدَّل البرجيسترون، فإنَّ ذلك يُشير حينئذٍ إلى أنَّ المرأة قد تتعرَّض لمخاطر أن تلِد قبل ستَّة أسابيع من الميعاد الطبيعي للولادة، كما أن اختلاف النسبة بين هرمون البريجسترون وهرمون الإسترول يؤدِّي إلى نوع من الخلَل، وعدم التَّوازن الهرموني، الَّذي يسهم في الولادة المبكِّرة.

وأشارت الدِّراسة إلى أنَّه سيتم إجراء عددٍ من الاختبارات، بالإضافة إلى اختِبار اللُّعاب المشار إليه سابقًا؛ من أجل العمل على تقْليل نسبة الولادات المبكِّرة، والَّتي وصلتْ في بريطانيا إلى 48000 حالة سنويًّا؛ ممَّا يؤدي إلى أن تُصاب تلك الحالات فيما بعد بالمشاكل الصحّيَّة وصعوبات التعلّم، وغير ذلك من أنواع الإعاقة.

وأفصحت الدِّراسة عن أنَّ المرأة التي تتعرَّض لمثل هذه الحالات، من الممكن أن تُعطى جرعات من الهرمون؛ من أجل تأخير عمليَّة الولادة إلى الموعِد الطبيعي لنمو الأجنَّة.

وصرحت الدكتورة لوتشيلا بوطن Lucilla Poston - الباحثة بالكلّيَّة الملكيَّة البريطانيَّة -: أنَّ هذا الاختِبار من السهولة بمكان؛ لكثرة اللعاب، ويُسر الحصول عليه بدون استِخْدام الحقن وعينات الدَّم.

النص الأصلي

Saliva test that spots hormone levels in pregnant women 'could cut premature births'

A simple saliva test could help to cut the toll of potentially dangerous premature births, a study claims today.

The test identifies pregnant women who are likely to give birth prematurely by detecting levels of progesterone, which helps stop the womb contracting before the full term of 40 weeks.

Low levels of the hormone put women at risk of delivering more than six weeks early.

New-born babies in hospital cribs

The study says a combination of examinations including the test could soon be developed to reduce the number of premature births, which are classified as those taking place before 37 weeks.

The 48,000 babies born prematurely each year in England and Wales are more at risk of medical complications, learning difficulties or other handicaps. The risks are higher for multiple births and expectant mothers over 35.

Women at risk would be monitored and could be given preventive measures such as hormone supplements to delay delivery.

Lead author Professor Lucilla Poston, of King's College London, is now planning a larger study.

She said: 'Saliva is easy to collect, there is no need for a needle or a blood sample and it would be wonderful if in the future we only had to ask a pregnant woman to produce a small sample of saliva to know whether or not she was at risk of very early premature birth.'

Researchers at King's and University College London found women who gave birth before 34 weeks had far lower levels of progesterone than those who had their babies from 37 weeks. They analysed saliva samples for 92 women between 24 weeks and 34 weeks of pregnancy.

The expectant mothers had all been identified as being at risk of premature birth for reasons such as a history of pre-term birth and late miscarriage or because they had an infection.

Twenty-eight gave birth before 37 weeks and 64 delivered at term. Saliva progesterone levels were lower in the 12 women delivering before 34 weeks.

Lab technician with test samples

Among the women who gave birth before 34 weeks, levels of the hormone also failed to rise during pregnancy in the normal way.

It is the first time lower saliva concentrations of progesterone have been investigated in women known to be at higher risk of premature birth.

The study, published in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, said: 'Measurement of saliva progesterone may be of value in the prediction of early pre-term labour and determining which women might benefit from progesterone supplementation.'

The researchers said lower progesterone concentrations in women who delivered early, and the ratio of progesterone to the hormone called estriol, suggest hormonal imbalance may be a factor causing premature birth in some women.

Experts do not know exactly why a low level of progesterone - which is normally produced in large quantities from the placenta - may lead to premature birth.

However, it has anti-inflammatory properties, so low levels may help to spread bacterial infection, which is widely recognised as a cause of very early labour.

Jane Brewin, of the charity Tommy's, which funded the study, said: 'We are delighted. Backed by further research, we hope these findings will have an impact on the development of preventative measures for pre-term births.'

BJOG editor-in-chief Professor Philip Steer said: 'We are still a long way from understanding the causes of pre-term birth. A reliable marker of pre-term birth would allow us to try and develop targeted preventative measures.'