Texas MOD Center of Excellence at University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston

Normal parturition is a unique physiological process requiring Feto-Maternal (FM) uterine system coordination. This ultimately results in homeostatic imbalances in pregnant uterine tissues that trigger labor-associated changes to ensure delivery at term 1-5. However, several key questions remain about the mechanisms that initiate these labor-associated changes, i.e., are these changes initiated by the mother, the fetus, or both? Additionally, premature dysregulation of homeostasis (e.g., infection- induced inflammation) can dramatically alter interactions among F-M systems, leading to early initiation of labor and delivery or preterm parturition (preterm birth [PTB],