Faulty Genes Found in Pregnancy Illness that Kills 1,000 Babies A Year

Three faulty genes have been found that put women at risk of pre-eclampsia, the potentially dangerous high blood pressure that affects one in 20 pregnancies.

The breakthrough could lead to drugs to prevent the condition.

Pre-eclampsia usually develops after the 20th week of pregnancy. It kills around ten women and 1,000 unborn babies a year in Britain and is responsible for around 15 per cent of premature births.

It is caused by the breakdown of the placenta which delivers nutrients and oxygen to an unborn baby.

Because the cause of pre-eclampsia is unknown, there are no reliable ways to predict who will suffer from it.

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Marijuana Use Causes Early Pregnancy Failure

Marijuana use at the time of conception and early in pregnancy prevents embryos' safe passage from the ovary to the uterus, resulting in early pregnancy failure, suggests a new study in mice. The study appears in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

Marijuana, the most widely used illegal drug among women of reproductive age, binds to 2 receptors -- cannabinoid receptors 1 and 2 (CB1, CB2) -- which are found in the brain and other organs including sperm, eggs, and newly formed embryos. Normally, these 2 receptors are activated by the naturally occurring signaling molecule anandamide. Anandamide formation by the enzyme NAPE-PLD is carefully balanced with its degradation by the enzyme FAAH, resulting in a finely tuned local "anandamide tone" in embryos and the oviduct. This balance is required for normal embryonic development, transport along the oviduct, implantation in the uterus, and full-term pregnancy.

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