causes of prematurity

BACKGROUND: Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) causes significant morbidity and mortality in children aged ≤ 5 years and adults aged ≥ 60 years worldwide. Despite this, RSV-specific therapeutic options are limited. Rilematovir is an investigational, orally administered inhibitor of RSV fusion protein-mediated viral entry. OBJECTIVE: To establish the antiviral activity, clinical outcomes, safety, and tolerability of rilematovir (low or high dose) in children aged ≥ 28 days and ≤ 3 years with RSV disease...

PURPOSE: It has long been thought that the carcinogenic effect of radiation resulted from the induction of oncogenic mutations which then led to an increase in the proportion of cancer-bearing individuals. However, even as early as the 1960s, there were indications that the carcinogenic effect of radiation might result from the induction of an earlier onset of cancer. Recently, the former notion was challenged by its inability to explain time-dependent decline of the relative risk following an exposure to radiation, and a parallel shift of mouse survival curves toward younger ages following an exposure to radiation...

Alkyl borane compounds-mediated polymerizations have expanded to Lewis pair polymerization, free radical polymerization, ionic ring-opening polymerization, and polyhomologation. The bifunctional organoborane catalysts that contain the Lewis acid and ammonium or phosphonium salt in one molecule have demonstrated superior catalytic performance for ring-opening polymerization of epoxides and ring-opening copolymerization of epoxides and CO2 than their two-component analogues, i.e., the blend of organoborane and ammonium or phosphonium salt...

This is a case of a 13-year-old male with frequent premature ventricular contractions with QRS configurations of the left superior axis and left bundle branch block, which originated from the posterior-superior process of the left ventricle. Premature ventricular contractions were successfully eliminated by delivering radiofrequency energy to the inferior wall of the right atrium without causing either junctional rhythm or atrioventricular block. Ventricular arrhythmias originating from this site have been sporadically reported in adults; however, this is the first report in a child...

Undiagnosed monogenic diseases represent a challenging group of human conditions highly suspicious to have a genetic origin, but without conclusive evidences about it. We identified two brothers born prematurely from a non-consanguineous healthy couple, with a neonatal-onset, chronic disease characterized by severe skin and bone inflammatory manifestations and a fatal outcome in infancy. We conducted DNA and mRNA analyses in the patients' healthy relatives to identify the genetic cause of the patients' disease...

The occupational chemical 4-Vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) is a reproductively toxic environmental pollutant that causes follicular failure, leading to premature ovarian insufficiency (POI), which significantly impacts a woman's physical health and fertility. Investigating VCD's pathogenic mechanisms can offer insights for the prevention of ovarian impairment and the treatment of POI. This study established a mouse model of POI through intraperitoneal injection of VCD into female C57BL/6 mice for 15 days...

This case report describes necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in an infant with a history of twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). TTTS is a volume imbalance where the anastomosis at the vascular equator between the two placentae shifts from the donor to the recipient twin. This causes a higher risk for NEC, a marked inflammation caused by bacterial infection into the intestinal wall, from prematurity and intestinal hypoperfusion. Complications include sepsis, bowel necrosis, perforation, peritonitis, and death...

Congenital pseudarthrosis of the clavicle (CPC) is a rare disorder with an unknown etiology, which is caused by a failure of the clavicle ossification nuclei union process. This is the first CPC twin instance documented in Saudi Arabia, and the fourth overall. In the 33rd week, a set of twins was born prematurely with respiratory distress syndrome. They were both admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit. X-rays of the chest were taken, and the clavicular deformity was discovered. Because the twins were born via a cesarean section, a traumatic clavicular fracture was ruled out...

A Cucurbita pepo mutant with multiple defects in growth and development has been identified and characterized. The mutant dwfcp displayed a dwarf phenotype with dark green and shrinking leaves, shortened internodes and petioles, shorter but thicker roots and greater root biomass, and reduced fertility. The causal mutation of the phenotype was found to disrupt gene Cp4.1LG17g04540 , the squash orthologue of the Arabidopsis brassinosteroid (BR) biosynthesis gene DWF5 , encoding for 7-dehydrocholesterol reductase...

BACKGROUND: Patients with schizophrenia have substantial comorbidity that contributes to reduced life expectancy of 10 to 20 years. Identifying modifiable comorbidities could improve rates of premature mortality. Conditions that frequently co-occur but lack shared genetic risk with schizophrenia are more likely to be products of treatment, behavior, or environmental factors and therefore are enriched for potentially modifiable associations. METHODS: Phenome-wide comorbidity was calculated from electronic health records of 250,000 patients across 2 independent health care institutions (Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Mass General Brigham); associations with schizophrenia polygenic risk scores were calculated across the same phenotypes in linked biobanks...

Introduction Myelomeningocele (MMC) is the most common neural tube defect, but rarely seen in premature infants. Most centers advocate for closure of MMC within 24 hours of birth. However, this is not always possible in severely premature infants. Given the rarity of this patient population, we aimed to share our institutional experience and outcomes of severely premature infants with MMC. Methods We performed a retrospective, observational review of premature infants (≤ 32 weeks gestational age) identified through our multidisciplinary spina bifida clinic (1995-2021) and surgical logs...

Domain Z7 of nuclear transcription factor ZNF711 has the consensus last metal-ligand H23 found in odd-numbered zinc-fingers of this protein replaced by a phenylalanine. Ever since the discovery of ZNF711 it has been thought that Z7 is probably non-functional because of the H23F substitution. The presence of H26 three positions downstream prompted us to examine if this histidine could substitute as the last metal ligand. The Z7 domain adopts a stable tertiary structure upon metal binding. The NMR structure of Zn 2+ -bound Z7 shows the classical ββα-fold of CCHH zinc fingers...

Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) impose an enormous societal and financial burden, and world-wide, alcohol misuse is the 7th leading cause of premature death1. Despite this, there are currently only 3 FDA approved pharmacological treatments for the treatment of AUDs in the United States. The neurotensin (Nts) system has long been implicated in modulating behaviors associated with alcohol misuse. Recently, a novel compound, SBI-553, that biases the action of Nts receptor 1 (NTSR1) activation, has shown promise in preclinical models of psychostimulant misuse...

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is a highly prevalent genetic disorder resulting in markedly elevated LDL cholesterol levels and premature coronary artery disease. FH underdiagnosis and undertreatment require novel detection methods. This study evaluated the effectiveness of using an LDL cholesterol cut-off ≥99.5th percentile (sex- and age-adjusted) to identify clinical and genetic FH, and investigated underutilization of genetic testing and undertreatment in FH patients...

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is globally the leading cause of death and disability. Sex-specific causes of female CVD are under-investigated. Pregnancy remains an underinvestigated sex-specific stress test for future CVD and a hitherto missed opportunity to initiate prevention of CVD at a young age. Population-based studies show a strong association between female CVD and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. This association is also present after other pregnancy complications that are associated with placental dysfunction, including fetal growth restriction, preterm delivery and gestational diabetes mellitus...

The human mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma is a holoenzyme, involved in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication and maintenance, composed of a catalytic subunit (POLG) and a dimeric accessory subunit (POLG2) conferring processivity. Mutations in POLG or POLG2 cause POLG-related diseases in humans, leading to a subset of Mendelian-inherited mitochondrial disorders characterized by mtDNA depletion (MDD) or accumulation of multiple deletions, presenting multi-organ defects and often leading to premature death at a young age...

BACKGROUND: Preterm birth is a major cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality. It is unclear whether the introduction of a universal transvaginal ultrasound cervical length screening program in women at low risk for preterm delivery is associated with a reduction in the frequency of preterm birth. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that the introduction of a midtrimester universal transvaginal ultrasound cervical length screening program in asymptomatic singleton pregnancies without prior preterm delivery would reduce the rate of preterm birth at <37 weeks of gestation...

BACKGROUND: Detailed, comprehensive, and timely reporting on population health by underlying causes of disability and premature death is crucial to understanding and responding to complex patterns of disease and injury burden over time and across age groups, sexes, and locations. The availability of disease burden estimates can promote evidence-based interventions that enable public health researchers, policy makers, and other professionals to implement strategies that can mitigate diseases...

BACKGROUND: Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) is a major cause of visual impairment in premature infants, often requiring surgical interventions in advanced stages. This retrospective case series study investigates non-surgical management for Stage 4A ROP, specifically the use of combined laser therapy and intravitreal anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) injections. METHODS: Ten eyes from five infants with Stage 4A ROP were treated with a combined laser and anti-VEGF approach...

Extreme droughts can have long-lasting effects on forest community dynamics and species interactions. Yet, our understanding of how drought legacy modulates ecological relationships is just unfolding. We tested the hypothesis that leaf chemistry and herbivory show long-term responses to premature defoliation caused by an extreme drought event in European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.). For two consecutive years after the extreme European summer drought in 2018, we collected leaves from the upper and lower canopy of adjacently growing drought-stressed and unstressed trees...