The Prevalence of Prematurity

Preterm Labor, A Fear Realized

A baby is considered premature when they are born 3 weeks prior to their due date or previous to 37 weeks gestation.  Each year there are approximately 500,000 premature births and 35% of infant deaths can be attributed to complications from prematurity.  There are certain factors that would place a female at risk for having a premature baby.  These include:  low or high maternal age, black race, infection, previous preterm birth, carrying more than one baby, high blood pressure during pregnancy, tobacco or alcohol use, substance abuse, late prenatal care, and stress.

Although it is difficult to predict if a female will have preterm labor there are important warning signs that should not be ignored.  These may include:

• Backache
• Contractions
• Cramping
• Fluid leaking from the vagina
• Flu-Like Symptoms such as nausea, vomiting and diarrhea
• Increased pressure in the pelvis or vagina
• Increased vaginal discharge
• Vaginal bleeding

Any of these signs during a pregnancy should prompt a call to the obstetrician for potential further evaluation.

Your baby is surrounded by a membrane called the amniotic sac that is filled with fluid and protects the baby during development.  In a situation when the membrane breaks due to a tear or hole in the membrane it is called rupture of membranes.  Premature rupture of membranes (PROM) occurs in about 8% of pregnancies and is marked by rupture of the membrane prior to labor beginning.  In less that 2% of pregnancies this will occur in a situation where the pregnancy is preterm and is referred to preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).  The following resource provides organized details of each condition that can occur leading to premature labor and their potential causes.

http://www.fpnotebook.com/ob/antepartum/PrmtrRptrOfMmbrns.htm

These additional links are to resources that are helpful in understanding the terminology that is commonly encountered.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2589108/

http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/complications/preterm-rupture-of-membranes.aspx

http://www.webmd.com/baby/premature-labor

When my wife had PPROM leading to the birth of our son 14 weeks early it was a scary moment.  Preparation and understanding the terminology and potential outcomes are essential in empowering yourself to remain calm during a time that is all but easy.