Preterm birth
Preterm birth (premature birth)
Preterm birth usually refers to delivery that occurs between the 20th week of pregnancy and the 36th week and 6 days. Preterm birth accounts for approximately 7-8% of all births and is the largest cause of infant morbidity and morbidity.
Causes of preterm birth
These include preterm labor, premature rupture of membranes, vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, the mother's lifestyle, genetic factors, infection, uterine malformation, and internal or obstetric indications of the pregnant woman or fetus. Preterm birth is classified into spontaneous premature birth and artificial preterm birth caused by high blood pressure or fetal abnormalities. Approximately 80% of the causes of preterm birth are spontaneous preterm birth, such as preterm labor and premature rupture of membranes. If you experience symptoms of labor such as pain, premature rupture of membranes, or vaginal bleeding before 37 weeks, visit the hospital immediately.
Causes of premature birth include:
- Abnormalities in the placenta or cervix
- Multifetal pregnancies
- Rupture of amniotic fluid
- When the mother has high blood pressure or diabetes
- When the mother has an infection
Women who do not receive regular prenatal care are also at increased risk of preterm birth.
Signs
For preterm labor, the intensity and frequency of the labor pain vary, and the subjective signs felt by the mothers also vary. Preterm labor requiring clinical treatment is defined as the presence of uterine contractions of mostly sufficient frequency and intensity. In this case, vaginal bleeding may occur and premature rupture of membranes may occur. However, false labor pains or Braxton Hicks contractions are normal during pregnancy. Therefore, irregular contractions are often not associated with preterm labor pains.
However, it may be difficult for the mothers to distinguish the symptoms on their own, so if you feel any abnormal symptoms or signs, immediately go to the hospital and get examined. Sometimes labor pain is not typical. You may experience lower back pain, a sinking sensation in your pelvis, or an abnormal increase in vaginal discharge. If you experience increased vaginal discharge, ruptured membranes, vaginal bleeding, regular abdominal pain, or pain that is unusual for other times, you need to visit a hospital immediately for examination.
Treatment
There is currently no perfect treatment for preterm labor. However, various drugs are used in an attempt to extend the pregnancy to some extent and improve the prognosis of premature babies. However, these drugs also have side effects and disadvantages, so their use is decided selectively based on the condition of the mother.
Figure. Treatment of Preterm Labor (Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency’s National Health Information Portal)