Children's Hospital Research Institute: Center for Prematurity and Childhood Infections

The Research Center for Prematurity & Childhood Infections, currently located at 307 Westlake, is part of Seattle Children’s Hospital Research Institute.  It was formed in response to the growing public health problem of preterm birth, defined as occurring before 37 weeks. The goal is to bring together top researchers across disciplines and from multiple institutions to begin studying the complex causes of preterm birth.  The Director is Craig Rubens M.D., PhD. with 3 people working full-time for the center.

The incidence of preterm birth is high—between 10 to 12 percent in developed countries and as high as 30 percent in the developing world--and growing. The cause of preterm labor is largely unknown and it is a major cause of infant mortality. Infants who do survive are more likely to develop long-term health and developmental problems.

Little is known about the causes of preterm birth, except that they are multiple and complex in nature.  In the largest group of women affected, the onset of preterm labor is spontaneous, with no obvious medical cause.  Currently, there is no way to prevent or stop preterm birth once it has started.  The lack of effective prevention and treatment plans is directly related to the lack of scientific understanding of this devastating public health problem.  Several investigators have put together proposals for research through the center.  They are looking for funding to help launch the state wide clinical databank and tissue repository, which will support this research.       

Children’s Hospital created this center to address this critically important but poorly understood public health problem.  The center, expected to grow over the next several months, will be moving to 9th and Stewart in August.  Contact the Program Director, Donna Russell at (206) 987-7468 or at Donna.Russell@seattlechildrens.org for more information.