Babies' DNA affects mothers' risk of pre-eclampsia in pregnancy, study finds

Pre-eclampsia-PR
19 Jun 2017 16:00:00.000

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A major new international study has revealed for the first time that some features in a baby’s DNA can increase the risk of its mother developing pre-eclampsia – a potentially dangerous condition in pregnancy. 

These results from the InterPregGen study are published in Nature Genetics. The work was carried out by genetics experts from the UK, Nordic countries and Central Asia and is the first to show an effect of DNA from the fetus on the health of its mother. 

Pre-eclampsia affects up to 5% of pregnancies and is first suspected when a woman is found to have high blood pressure, usually in the second half of pregnancy. The condition can cause serious complications including fits, stroke, liver and blood problems and in some cases the death of mother and baby.  

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More information is available from Associate Professor Linda Morgan via email linda.morgan@nottingham.ac.uk 

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