Preterm Labor & Birth

What are Preterm Labor and Preterm Birth?

Premature labor (another name for preterm labor) is labor that begins before the 37th week of pregnancy. A doctor will often take steps to try to stop the labor as the risk to the baby’s survival is high at this point. Premature birth occurs about 12% of the time and is the number one cause of infant deaths in the United States.

Who is at risk of going into preterm labor and having a preterm birth?

There is no way to predict which women will experience preterm labor or premature birth, but here are some factors that may be involved in having preterm labor and birth:

Trichomoniasis (an infection)
Bacterial vaginosis (an infection)
Shortened cervix
Previous premature labor or birth

Risks of Preterm Birth to the Baby

Low birth weight
Underdeveloped organs
Under developed lungs, breathing problems
Greater risk for cerebral palsy (CP)
Greater risk for learning disabilities
Greater risk for developmental disabilities
Greater risk for serious infections

Preventing Preterm Delivery

Unfortunately, these preventions are not effective most of the time, but because they are helpful some of the time, these are some methods for prevention: