Are You at Risk for Preterm Labor?
Preterm birth is the number one obstetric problem in the United States.
Preterm births are on the rise in America, increasing from 9.4 percent in 1981 to 11.6 percent in 2000 — a 23 percent increase. Preterm labor and delivery can happen to any expectant mother, even if she is having a healthy pregnancy. Experts estimate that one third to one half of all premature births occur in women with no known risk factors.
What are the causes of preterm birth?
Babies born before 37 weeks are defined as preterm, and those born between 24 and 28 weeks are considered “extremely premature.” It is not certain exactly what triggers premature labor and delivery as there does not seem to be one single cause.
“The most common factor of preterm labor is premature rupture of the membranes (PROM) commonly referred to as when one's ‘water breaks,'” states Harish Sehdev, MD, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Penn. “If you think your membranes have ruptured, consult your doctor or midwife immediately. You may go into labor, be given medication to prevent infection or delay birth, or be induced if there is infection or danger to you or the baby.”
Risk Factors or Conditions for
Delivering Preterm Include:
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Race is one of the greatest risk factors for preterm birth. Black women have almost twice the preterm rate as white women. Some suspect a genetic predisposition to deliver early; or that black women simply have more of the risk factors associated with preterm birth and more of the suspected triggers in unexplained preterm birth.
Depending on the progression of labor or the
health risk to mother and child, a baby may be
delivered by cesarean section. Physicians are
inducing labor or performing cesarean sections
at all gestational ages more often than ever
before. Ten years ago, a baby could survive at
28 weeks gestation. Today, about half of babies
born at 24 weeks survive.
Babies born too soon can have lifelong or life-threatening
health problems. A few critical weeks make a
big difference in survival. More than 98 percent
of babies born between 32 and 35 weeks survive.
Babies born before 32 weeks are at greatest risk
for lung and gastrointestinal problems, cerebral
palsy, and vision and hearing loss.
Can preterm birth be prevented?
Preventing preterm birth altogether is not possible.
Depending on the situation, hydration, bed rest,
sedation, and contraction monitoring can be utilized
to help prolong a pregnancy for a short period
of time. Penn obstetricians, Michal
Elovitz, MD, and Samuel
Parry, MD, are examining risk factors for
preterm labor, such as genetic predisposition,
and evaluating new approaches to preventing preterm
birth.
Warning Signs of Preterm Labor |
Call your health care provider (nurse, doctor or midwife) or go to the hospital right away if you think you are having preterm labor, or if you experience one or more of the following:
- Contractions (your abdomen tightens like a fist) every 10 minutes or more often
- Change in vaginal discharge (leaking fluid or bleeding from your vagina)
- Pelvic pressure—the feeling that your baby is pushing down
- Low, dull backache
- Cramps that feel like your period
- Abdominal cramps with or without diarrhea
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Can a woman reduce her risk for preterm birth?
A preterm delivery cannot always be predicted. About 75 percent of preterm births occur spontaneously, but an expectant mother should do what she can to reduce her risk of premature labor by eating a balanced diet and taking prenatal vitamins, maintaining a healthy body weight, refraining from smoking, drugs, alcohol and multiple sex partners, and getting prenatal health care.
Penn's team of maternal fetal medicine specialists
are experienced in high-risk pregnancy care.
For more information or to make an appointment,
call 1-800-789-PENN or request
an appointment online.
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