Preterm labour

Preterm labour is a major problem in obstetrics. Timely intervention with available treatments is hampered by the lack of a reliable test of imminent preterm delivery.

Preterm Labour: Preterm labour occurs when the labour process begins before the 37th week of pregnancy. About 12% of all babies in the United Kingdom are born prematurely.

If you have a preterm labour (go into labour before 37 weeks)
If your waters break before 37 weeks (premature rupture of membranes) ...

Signs of preterm labour
Survival of preterm babies, gestation
Survival, birth weight & twins
Survival, health complications & birthplace
Pregnancy care
Waters breaking prematurely
Preterm labour
Preterm labour tocolytic betamimetics ...

This is another potential trigger of preterm labour. Vaginal infections, such as gonorrhoea, chlamydia, trichomonas, bacterial vaginosis and group B streptococci have all been linked to preterm labour.

There shouldn't be a lot of weight on there at the moment, and also the big thing last time was the infection which puts you at risk of preterm labour and pprom, so some of the dr's think it was all down to that or a combination, ...

Recent vaginal bleeding
Preterm labour
Ruptured membranes (broken water bag)
Placenta praevia
Infection with STDs ...

Steer P. 2006. The epidemiology of preterm labour - why have advances not equated to reduced incidence? BJOG 113(Suppl 3): 1-3 ...

King JF, Flenady VJ, Papatsonis DNM, Dekker GA, Carbonne B. Calcium channel blockers for inhibiting preterm labour. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2007, Issue 4. Art. No.: CD002255. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD002255.

- high risk of preterm labour
- unexplained vaginal bleeding
- amniotic fluid leakage
- cervical incompetence, when the cervix begins to open prematurely
- placenta previa (placenta cover the cervical opening, whether partly or completely) ...

Sawdy RJ, Bennett PR (1999). Recent advances in the therapeutic management of preterm labour. Current Opinion in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 11(2): 131-139.

Reduce your chances of developing pre-eclampsia
Reduce your risk for postpartum depression
Minimize the chance of preterm labour
Good sources of essential fatty acids include: ...

See also: Pregnancy, Preterm, Pregnant, Infection, Vagina