Scientific medical research to prevent preterm births is the work of Sarah K. England, PhD, a full professor of obstetrics and gynecology in the Division of Basic Science Research at Washington University.
The uterus contracts and beats, kind of like the heart does, England explained, and these changes in electrical activity are important in a normal, healthy delivery.
“We’re interested in identifying what causes these changes when a woman goes into labor so that if someone who doesn’t undergo these changes and has a dysfunctional labor or a difficult labor or preterm labor, we can figure out why,” England said.
She said about 12 percent of all women have preterm births and incidence in higher in African Americans. Infants born just a few weeks early are at risk for severe health problems and lifelong disabilities.
According to the March of Dimes, premature birth kills more babies than any other health problem in the U.S.
“We’ve discovered some of the proteins are some of the underlying agents that are responsible for the electrical activity,” England said. “We’ve been able to determine which ones may therapeutically be good targets some day.”
In July 2011, England moved her research to St. Louis from the University of Iowa, where she was a professor in the Department of Molecular Physiology and Biophysics for 14 years. Her work is funded by the National Institutes of Health, March of Dimes, American Heart Association and other agencies.
England had a St. Louis (and St. Louis American) connection through colleagues in Iowa – Victor and Vincent Rodgers, twin sons of the late Bennie G. Rodgers, executive editor emeritus of the newspaper.
England ran an undergraduate program for minority students in the sciences with Vincent Rodgers, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Iowa. Victor Rodgers is now the department chair and professor of bioengineering in the Bourns College of Engineering at University of California – Riverside.
About a year ago, England was offered a chance to grow her research and collaborate with scientists doing similar work at Washington University. Construction of her new lab is being completed at the new Institute of Medicine building on Euclid Avenue, which she and her staff designed for their research.
They conduct both animal and human tissue studies.
“We’ve looked at some genetics to see which women may have a higher propensity of preterm birth, and a lot of it is looking at all of the underlying characteristics that are very molecular-based,” England said.
“The people in my lab have been able to develop new tools to investigate it, to study how labor progresses.”
England wants caregivers to be able to identify in advance women who are likely candidates for preterm labor, in order to stop it before it starts.
“You would hope to be able to identify these women and even before to say, ‘This may happen to you; let us be able to help you,’” England said.
“And right now, we just don’t have very good ways to intervene if there are troubles early on.”
Pregnant women, particularly those who know they will have a caesarian section and are interested in participating in England’s research, may call 314-286-1798.
