Health | 22 October 2026
The story in brief
Scientists have discovered a possible reason why some babies are born too early.
The discovery involves antibodies, which are proteins made by the body's defence system.
Who is involved?
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Scientists at the University of California, San Francisco: A team in the United States that helped lead the study.
What happened?
Scientists studied more than 2,000 pregnant women.
They found that certain antibodies appeared earlier and at higher levels in some women who later gave birth early.
These antibodies may stop the body from controlling inflammation.
Inflammation is the body's reaction to harm. It can cause swelling.
Too much inflammation can cause the womb to tighten and labour to begin.
Scientists also tested the antibodies in pregnant mice.
The mice developed more inflammation and signs of damage to the placenta, which helps a baby grow before birth.
What is the background?
A baby is considered to be born early if birth happens before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
There are many reasons why babies can be born early.
These antibodies were linked to only some early births.
Why does it matter?
The discovery may help explain why some women go into labour too early.
However, the antibodies have not been proven to cause early labour in humans.
What happens next?
Scientists say an existing medicine used for illnesses involving inflammation might help prevent some early births.
However, this medicine has not been proven to prevent early births.
More research is needed before it could be considered for this purpose.
Source: Reuters, 21 October 2026