In Massachusetts, Dr. Olaf Bodamer from Boston Children’s Hospital, who is known in pediatrics, biochemistry and human and molecular genetics, is using a newly received grant to conduct genomics studies on pregnant women in hopes of better understanding preterm birth, which is when a baby is born before 37 weeks. The grant comes from California based uBiome, a microbial genomics company focusing on the body’s trillions of microorganisms and how it affects human health. The study is being conducted with Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, which alone typically delivers 4,000 babies per year.
Dr. Olaf Bodamer told PR Web that “While it is, of course, of considerable concern that the level of preterm births in our region is higher than average, the situation provides us with significant opportunities to learn more about ways in which human genomics and the maternal microbiome might predict pregnancy outcomes. In the long term, we hope that more knowledge could lead to less preterm births.”