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CME Credit Offered
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Recording available 2/16-5/2
Recording available 2/16-5/2
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Abstract Award
Abstract Award
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Poster Session 1

Category: Prematurity

Poster Session 1

(277) Altered Cord Blood Metabolomic Profile in Term-Born Fetuses Following Threatened Preterm Labor

Wednesday, February 11, 2026
10:30 AM - 12:00 PM  

    Submitting Author and Presenting Author(s)

  • Lina Youssef, MD, PhD

    Postdoctoral researcher
    BCNatal – Barcelona Center for Maternal-Fetal and Neonatal Medicine (Hospital Clínic and Hospital Sant Joan de Deu), IDIBAPS, University of Barcelona
    Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain

    • Coauthor(s)

  • NA

    Natalia Abadia-Cuchi

    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón)
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • JL

    Juan Lerma-Irureta

    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón)
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • JO

    Jesus Orduna

    Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Zaragoza
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • IO

    Irene Orera

    Departamento de Química Orgánica, Universidad de Zaragoza
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • AM

    Ana Medel-Martinez

    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón)
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • MF

    Marta Fabre

    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón)
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • JG

    Jesus Gonzalez

    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón)
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • PM

    Pilar Maestro-Quibus

    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón)
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • SR

    Sara Ruiz-Martinez

    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón)
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • JS

    Jon Schoorlemmer

    Placental Pathophysiology & Fetal Programming Research Group, GIIS-028 del IISA
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • DL

    Diego Lerma

    Obstetrics Department, Hospital Clinico Universitario Lozano Blesa
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • DO

    Daniel Oros

    Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria de Aragón (IIS Aragón)
    Zaragoza, Aragon, Spain

  • CP

    Cristina Paulés

    Hospital Clinico Universitario Lozano Blesa
    Hospital Clinico Universitario Lozano Blesa (Zaragoza), Aragon, Spain

Objective:

To examine the cord blood metabolomic profile of fetuses exposed to threatened preterm labor (TPL), comparing those born preterm with those who ultimately delivered at term.


Study Design:
This prospective observational study included 42 singleton pregnancies exposed to TPL and 40 unexposed controls. Cord blood was collected at delivery and analyzed using LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics. Both multivariate and univariate statistical methods were applied.

Results:
Among TPL-exposed pregnancies, 27 (64.3%) delivered preterm, while 15 (35.7%) delivered at term. Of the 507 metabolites analyzed, 506 were detected in at least 70% of samples. Multivariate analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) and partial least squares discriminant analysis (PLS-DA) showed distinct separation between TPL cases and controls. PCA revealed that the first two components explained 22.2% and 8.4% of the variance, while PLS-DA explained 60.3% and 39.7%, respectively. Notably, term births following TPL exhibited an intermediate metabolomic profile. Univariate analysis identified 122 metabolites with significant differences across groups, supporting the multivariate findings. Hierarchical clustering of the top 25 metabolites revealed three distinct clusters: one predominantly composed of preterm births, one of controls, and an intermediate cluster containing most term deliveries following TPL.

Conclusion:
Cord blood metabolomic profile is altered in fetuses exposed to TPL, regardless of whether delivery occurs preterm or at term. These findings suggest that TPL may have lasting metabolic effects, underscoring the need for further research into its impact on fetal metabolic health.