What makes some babies come early, and some come late? What tells the female body that it’s time to start labour?
In: Biology
This is just a theory I’ve seen in some research papers, but there seems to be suspicion that it’s up to the placenta.
The placenta is an organ that the mother’s body creates and it’s basically what’s in charge of nutrients for the fetus. The umbilical cord connects the baby to the placenta. If the placenta doesn’t have enough blood flow, or if the baby gets too big and demands more nutrients, it can’t do it’s job (this is a problem seen with twins that share a placenta. Often times these pregnancies are risky because one placenta has trouble supplying for two babies).
Anyways, some speculate that the placenta alerts the mothers body when it can no longer supply adequate nutrition to the baby. This explains why younger girls are at higher risk for preterm birth (their bodies have a harder time supplying nutrients), or why high blood pressure causes preterm birth (restricts blood flow to the placenta). The placenta reaches its “capacity” early and causes the baby to come early.
Again, just a theory, but that’s the one that made the most sense to me.
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