A premature delivery is a medical emergency that may devastate your child's health. Some examples include having trouble breathing at birth or being born with low birth weight.
Knowing what to expect during preterm labour may make you more prepared. For further information, see your medical team. When the uterus or womb begins preparing for labour and delivery before the due date, this is known as preterm labour. About half of all women who have labour pains before their due date of 37 weeks go into labour before their due date. Preterm labour is characterized by regular or frequent contractions that cause the belly to clench like a fist. Your cervix may also begin to open at this time. If you are less than 32 weeks pregnant and showing indications of labour that won't go away, your doctor may prescribe medicine to speed up your baby's growth in the womb. As a result, your child may have fewer postnatal respiratory issues and a lower chance of developing cerebral palsy, among other benefits. You and your baby's health are in danger if you labour too soon. You and your baby's health depend on your cautious adherence to your doctor's orders throughout delivery. The clinicians at NYU Langone treat premature labour with consideration for both mother and child. They may prescribe bed rest, intravenous (IV) fluids, and drugs to calm your uterus. Cervical cerclage is a surgical treatment that your doctor might recommend to strengthen your cervix and stop it from opening too early if you are at high risk for premature labour. Typically, the operation is performed at about 24 weeks of pregnancy. However, it may be done sooner if required. Talk to your doctor about quitting smoking and drinking alcohol, having regular prenatal care, maintaining a healthy weight, and getting enough exercise to reduce your chance of early birth. Other healthy behaviours, such as going to bed, waking up at the same time every night, and exercising regularly, may also help reduce risk. Any woman is at risk of having a premature baby. You can obtain medical aid and start the delivery process sooner if you know the signs and symptoms of preterm labour. Numerous factors, including the number of prior pregnancies, increase the probability of having a premature baby. The likelihood of having another premature delivery increases by a factor of 2.5 if you've already had an extremely premature one (less than 40 weeks). Women carrying multiples, smoking, or having abortions in the past are also more likely to give birth prematurely. Obstetrical problems, including uterine infections or cervical insufficiency, may also bring on premature labour. At about 18-20 weeks, your doctor may use a vaginal ultrasound to check the length of your cervix and determine your risk of preterm birth. Bed rest, cerclage, or medication may be used to treat a short cervix and avoid labour. Both infants and women who experience preterm delivery are at risk for serious complications. They may have difficulty breathing, infections, stunted development, and brain damage. The unborn child's health may be safeguarded with medication, such as prenatal steroids and tocolytics. Prenatal steroid treatment has been shown to hasten lung, digestive, and brain maturation in infants. Tocolytics may be used to postpone the onset of premature labour for up to 48 hours. Your healthcare practitioner may provide magnesium sulfate or corticosteroids at this period to aid with the maturation of the fetus's lungs and other organs. These drugs may also buy you time to go to a facility with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), where your preterm infant may get the specialist attention it needs. Your doctor will discuss treatment options with you if you have been identified with a risk factor for preterm birth. Cervical checks include a measurement of the cervix's length. An individual's risk of premature delivery may be estimated by measuring the cervix using a vaginal ultrasonography probe.
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Preterm labor and delivery occur when a baby is born before 37 weeks of pregnancy. It can be scary, but advances in newborn care are helping many premature babies thrive.
Several things can cause a woman to enter labor before her due date. The most common causes of infections and a problem in the mother's uterus or cervix. Causes Preterm labor usually starts on its own (before the 37th week of pregnancy) and occurs when uterine contractions begin to push your baby out. This is called spontaneous preterm labor, and it can occur for many reasons. It can happen because of a problem with the placenta or uterus or because a woman has an infection and her cervix opens before it should. These problems can cause complications for both the mother and her baby. Those complications may include bleeding in the brain, respiratory problems, and other serious problems that can have long-term health effects. Thankfully, there are now treatments that can help reduce the risk of preterm birth and its complications for both moms and their babies. Some risk factors can't be changed, but a healthy pregnancy diet and regular prenatal care can reduce risks. Also, don't smoke and drink alcohol while you're pregnant. Diagnosis Diagnosing preterm labor and delivery involves a combination of health history, physical exam, and tests. These include blood and urine tests, imaging tests, ultrasound exams, and biopsies (removing tissue samples). The best way to diagnose preterm labor is to talk with your doctor. They will ask about your symptoms, do a physical exam, and take your medical records. They will also do a transvaginal ultrasound to measure your cervix, which will help them decide if you are in preterm labor and need to be admitted to the hospital. The ultrasound will show how your cervix changes and your baby's heart rate. If you're in true preterm labor, the doctor may use drugs to stop the contractions. These are called tocolytics. The drugs will also help your uterus relax and protect the baby from certain infections. These drugs include terbutaline, nifedipine, and indomethacin. Treatment Treatment for preterm labor depends on the health of both you and your baby. It includes delaying labor, treating problems in your uterus or placenta, and caring for the baby after delivery. Women who have a history of premature birth and women with a short cervix are more likely to go into labor early. Doctors can use a procedure called cerclage (sair-KLAZH) to close a short cervix, which reduces the risk of preterm labor. Other treatments include tocolytics that stop contractions for 48 hours and corticosteroids, which help develop the fetus's lungs, digestive system, and brain before birth. These medications cross the placental blood barrier and can improve the chances that your baby will have a normal birth and stay healthy. Research also suggests that women with a short cervix and a previous preterm birth can receive progesterone shots throughout pregnancy to reduce their chances of having another early delivery. Prevention Preterm labor and delivery aren't well understood, but you can do a few things to reduce your risk. One is to space your pregnancies at least 18 months apart. A second is to use highly effective contraception as soon as you conceive and after your birth. It's also important to get early, regular prenatal care. Your doctor will check for risk factors for premature labor and discuss what you can do to lower your risk of preterm delivery. You may need to take hormones or stop doing certain activities. Your doctor might also measure the length of your cervix using a vaginal ultrasound. |
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