By David Douglas
Increased blood levels of free fatty acids, a key energy source for the body, may help identify pregnant women who are risk for preterm delivery, researchers report in the journal Obstetrics and Gynaecology.
Dr. Theresa O. Scholl and Dr. Xinhua Chen of the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey School of Osteopathic Medicine, Stratford note that the influence of free fatty acids on pregnancy has not been extensively studied.
To provide further information in this area, the researchers measured free fatty acids in 532 healthy pregnant women during the third trimester.
After accounting for body weight and other factors, women who had the highest fatty acid levels were roughly 3,5-times more likely to have a preterm delivery than those with lower levels.
This effect, say the investigators was unrelated to obesity before pregnancy as well as several other risk factors for preterm delivery, such as smoking, ethnic group and having a history of preterm delivery.