A swab test could soon predict preterm births of babies by using a signature found in the mother’s and father’s cheek cells. By reducing the need for early intervention measures, the test could help to prevent premature births and their numerous health consequences.
According to Science Daily, researchers from Washington State University discovered more than 100 epigenetic biomarkers in mothers of preterm babies that differed from mothers of full-term babies in a study published in Scientific Reports.
While there were fewer biomarker distinctions in the case of fathers, there were enough to indicate a paternal role in preterm birth cases.
Preterm babies are defined as those born alive before the 37th week of pregnancy.
Epigenetics refers to the molecular factors and processes that occur around the DNA and influence the behavior of a specific gene. Even epigenetic changes caused by external factors such as toxicant exposure, poor nutrition, and alcohol use can be handed down to the subsequent generation, regardless of DNA sequence.
The study’s lead author, a professor in Washington State University’s School of Biological Sciences, stated that the signature was present in every sample analyzed. This could be the foundation for developing an instrumental test to predict preterm birth. “This is very likely to lead to an instrumental test.” Buccal cells were amassed using a cheek swab. “It’s very non-invasive and simple,” he explained.
The researchers collected cheek swabs from two groups of mother-father-infant triads shortly after the babies were born for the study. While one group had 19 trios with premature babies, the other group of 21 triads had babies who were carried to term.
The samples’ epigenetic analysis revealed signatures in the mothers, fathers, and female preterm babies, but none in the male preterm infants. According to the findings, preterm female babies carried more than 100 of these biomarkers from their parents, indicating that the predisposition to have a preterm baby may be inherited.
The fact that the signature was discovered in cheek cells lends credence to the signature’s transgenerational capacity. Skinner contended that if an epigenetic modification exists in both sperm and ovum, the resulting baby will have that modification in every cell of their body, including the cheek cell.
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