Surprising study finds possible culprit in preterm births

WASHINGTON (AP) — Researchers have uncovered a surprising possible trigger for some preterm births: calcium buildup in the womb, similar to the kind that stiffens older people's arteries or causes kidney stones.

Ohio researchers studying more than 100 pregnant women found that when a mom-to-be's water breaks too early, the culprit seems to be abnormal calcium deposits that make the normally elastic amniotic sac prone to rupture.

"To have a new potential mechanism for one significant form of preterm birth is quite exciting," said Dr. Edward McCabe, chief medical officer of the March of Dimes, who wasn't involved in the study.

Amniotic fluid can produce calciprotein particles, the team found — and with preemies, that fluid also contains lower levels of a protein named fetuin-A that's supposed to keep those deposits from being dumped in the wrong place, like the amniotic sac.