Genetics, hormonal influences, and preterm birth

Prematurity is a devastating disease with high neonatal morbidity and mortality based on gestational age at birth. Genetic and hormonal signals impact directly on the maternal predisposition to preterm birth or sudden onset of myometrial contractility. Candidate gene or genome-wide approaches are beginning to identify potential variants for women at risk for premature delivery or increased responsiveness to hormonal signals including progesterone. However, a majority of these studies have not yielded definitive results to allow for at this stage for development of personalized therapy.