Each year, around 55,000 babies are born prematurely (before 37 weeks of pregnancy) in the UK and sadly, around 1,000 will lose their lives.[1-5] Additionally, one in 43 children is born with a developmental condition present at birth, such as spina bifida, which can significantly impact their health, education and wellbeing.[6] Professor Andrew Copp and Professor Nick Greene of UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health are investigating why there is a higher risk of preterm birth when the baby has a developmental condition. By uncovering the reasons behind this link, they hope to gain new insights into the broader causes of preterm birth, paving the way for new prevention strategies.

This project is jointly funded by Action Medical Research and Borne.

How are children’s lives affected now?

Thanks to advances in medical care, more preterm babies in the UK are surviving than ever before. However, these children often face health challenges that can begin at birth and continue throughout their lives.

“Ensuring that babies are born as close to full term as possible, and avoiding the potential complications of preterm birth, is a key priority,” says Professor Copp. “Yet, we still know very little about the causes of preterm birth or how to prevent it.” 

Each year, around 14,000 babies in England are born with developmental conditions such as spina bifida, which can lead to various health problems and disabilities.⁶ Pregnancies affected by these conditions are also far more likely to result in premature birth, although the reasons why remain unclear.

How could this research help?

“We aim to gain new insights into the molecular mechanisms leading to preterm birth in pregnancies affected by developmental conditions – and investigate how the mother’s folate* status may influence the risk of her baby being born too soon,” says Professor Copp.

The researchers will use a laboratory model to study how a severe developmental condition that affects the brain may contribute to preterm birth.

“We will use cutting-edge techniques to identify molecular changes in the mother’s blood that could indicate a higher risk of preterm birth,” says Professor Copp. “We will also explore whether adjusting folate levels through diet or supplementation affects pregnancy length.”

By uncovering the factors that lead to preterm birth in pregnancies with developmental conditions, the researchers hope to gain insights into the causes of premature birth more broadly – and identify potential ways to prevent it.

“This research could ultimately lead to new blood tests that help identify pregnant women at higher risk of preterm birth,” says Professor Copp. “It will also shed light on whether improving folate intake could help lower that risk.”

*Folate is also known as vitamin B9. Women in the UK trying to become pregnant are now routinely advised to take folic acid supplements (the synthetic form of folate) to prevent certain developmental conditions, such as spina bifida.

References

1. Office for National Statistics: Vital statistics in the UK: births, deaths and marriages -2021 [website accessed 12 March 2025]
2. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, Preterm labour and birth final scope April 2013: http://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/gid-cgwave0660/resources/preterm-labour-and-birth-final-scope2
3. Office for National Statistics. Childhood mortality (death cohort tables) in England and Wales 2022. Table 4. https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/birthsdeathsandmarriages/deaths/datasets/childmortalitystatisticschildhoodinfantandperinatalchildhoodinfantandperinatalmortalityinenglandandwales [website accessed 13 March 2025]
4. National Records for Scotland. Vital Events Reference Tables 2023, Table 4.05: Infant death, by sex and cause, Scotland 2011 to 2023: https://www.nrscotland.gov.uk/publications/vital-events-reference-tables-2023/# [website accessed 13 March 2025]
5. Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency: Registrar General Annual Report 2022 Stillbirths and Infant Deaths, Table 4.8: Stillbirths and infant deaths by sex and cause, 2013 to 2022. https://www.nisra.gov.uk/publications/registrar-general-annual-report-2022-stillbirths-and-infant-deaths [website accessed 13 March 2025]
6. National Congenital Anomaly and Rare Disease Registration Service (NCARDRS), Congenital Anomaly Official Statistics Report, 2021: https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/ncardrs-congenital-anomaly-statistics-annual-data/ncardrs-congenital-anomaly-statistics-report-2021 [website accesses 18 March 2025]

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