Deadly pregnancy condition may be due to baby’s DNA

PREGNANT women can be put at risk of the potentially fatal condition pre-eclampsia by their own baby’s DNA, a study has found.

The findings help to solve the puzzle of what causes the condition, which can affect one in 20 expectant mothers.

Researchers hope that by knowing more about the genes doctors will be able to identify mothers most at risk, and that the findings will eventually lead to some new treatments for the condition.

Pre-eclampsia starts in the second half of pregnancy. Early symptoms include high blood pressure and protein in the urine and complications include blackouts, vomiting, swollen limbs and stomach pain. In the worst cases, preeclampsia causes organ damage and fits. The condition can be fatal to both mothers and their babies.

It is known that the condition is often inherited, but scientists have now identified genes carried by babies which cause their mothers to become ill. The baby’s DNA comes from both its mother’s and its father’s genes.

The problems originate with the placenta, which attaches the baby to the mother’s womb. The new research shows that certain genes in the baby can cause the placenta to leak.

The five-year study was conducted at the University of Nottingham, where the researchers set out to find a link. They found there were indeed some features in a baby’s DNA that can increase the risk of pre-eclampsia.