Early screening of pregnant women could save 'more than 1,000 premature births a year'

Dr Ronnie Lamont, a consultant in obstetrics and gynaecology, said bacteria and fungi are responsible for just under half of all babies born before 37 weeks.

He said the links between infections and premature birth are so strong that women should be routinely screened around the 15th week of pregnancy - and given antibiotics if needed.

Early testing in pregnancy for bacterial infections could prevent more than 1,000 premature births a year, Dr Ronnie Lamont claims

Dr Lamont, who studies premature babies at Imperial College London, spoke after a
study published yesterday showed that infections in pregnancy trigger far more pre-term births than previously realised.

The U.S. research found that ' unrecognised and unidentified' infections of the amniotic fluid surrounding foetuses are a significant cause of premature births.

In Britain one in ten babies, or 80,000 a year, are born before 37 weeks.

Although the outlook for premature babies is better than ever, 17,000 need intensive care.

Pre-term babies are more likely to have problems feeding and controlling their temperature. They are also more vulnerable to infections and disability.

Those born at 25 weeks have a 55 per cent chance of leaving hospital alive.

The American study tested the amniotic fluid from 113 women who went on to have premature babies and found that 15 per cent of samples were infected - an increase of 50 per cent over previous estimates.

The more the fluid was contaminated, the earlier and sicker the babies, they reported in the journal PLoS One.

Women are infected by microbes, such as E. coli, that entire the amniotic sac externally, or via the bloodstream.

The true scale of infection could be much higher.

Commenting on the results, Dr Lamont said: 'This is a hugely important study. Premature birth is the biggest cause of death and handicap in newborn babies in the developed world.

'There are many causes of premature birth, but infection is a major cause.

'Around 40 per cent are caused by infection, but that rises the earlier a woman delivers.

'So at 24 weeks it is 60 per cent due to infection.'

Dr Lamont estimated that around 1,000 premature births could be prevented by a cheap screening programme.

'There have been four important studies since 2003 showing that if you treat antibiotics in the right women early in pregnancy you can decrease the incidence of premature birth by 40 to 60 per cent,' he said.