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preterm birth
Sign in to saveAlso known as pre-term birth, premature birth
birth at a gestational age less than 37 weeks
Key facts
- Other names
- Premature birth, preemies, premmies
- Specialty
- Neonatology , Pediatrics , Obstetrics
- Symptoms
- Birth of a baby at younger than 37 weeks' gestational age
- Complications
- Cerebral palsy , delays in development , hearing problems , sight problems
- Causes
- Often unknown
- Risk factors
- Diabetes , high blood pressure , Multiple gestation , obesity or underweight , a number of vaginal infections , celiac disease , tobacco smoking , psychological stress
- Prevention
- Progesterone
- Treatment
- Corticosteroids , keeping the baby warm through skin-to-skin contact , supporting breastfeeding , treating infections , supporting breathing
- Frequency
- ~15 million a year (12% of deliveries)
- Deaths
- 805,800
via Wikipedia infobox
Research
97,978 papers- Epidemiology and causes of preterm birth.Lancet (London, England) · 2008
- The global epidemiology of preterm birth.Best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology · 2018
- Global burden of preterm birth.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2020
- Preterm birth prevention.Best practice & research. Clinical obstetrics & gynaecology · 2020
- Preterm Labor and Birth: A Clinical Review.MCN. The American journal of maternal child nursing · 2020
via PubMed
Clinical Trials
3,879 registered- NAUNKNOWNEsomeprazole With Sildenafil Citrate in Women With Early-onset PreeclampsiaAswan University Hospital · NCT03724838
- NATERMINATEDMulticentre Randomised Controlled Trial of HELP (Heat Loss Prevention) in the Delivery RoomSunnybrook Health Sciences Centre · NCT00607464
- COMPLETEDKangaroo Holding Effects on Breast MilkChristiana Care Health Services · NCT00418106
- NACOMPLETEDMaternal Role in Oral Feed Establishment in Preterm NeonatesFatima Memorial Hospital · NCT05484726
- NAUNKNOWNEmergency Cerclage in Twin Pregnancies at Imminent Risk of Preterm Birth: an Open-Label Randomised Controlled TrialSt George's, University of London · NCT03818867
- COMPLETEDClinical RD (Respiratory Distress) Score for Objective Decision Making for Surfactant TherapyLady Hardinge Medical College · NCT03273764
Wikidata facts
Show 2 more facts
- Commons category
- Preterm birth
- NCI Thesaurus ID
- C92861
Sources (5)
via Wikidata · CC0
~40 min read
Article
Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. Extreme preterm is less than 28 weeks, very early preterm birth is between 28 and 32 weeks, early preterm birth occurs between 32 and 34 weeks, late preterm birth is between 34 and 36 weeks' gestation. These babies are also known as premature babies or colloquially preemies (American English) or premmies (Australian English). Symptoms of preterm labor include uterine contractions which occur more often than every ten minutes and/or the leaking of fluid from the vagina before 37 weeks. Premature infants are at greater risk for cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing problems and problems with their vision. The earlier a baby is born, the greater these risks will be.
The cause of spontaneous preterm birth is often not known. Risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, multiple gestation (being pregnant with more than one baby), being either obese or underweight, vaginal infections, air pollution exposure, tobacco smoking, and psychological stress. For a healthy pregnancy, medical induction of labor or cesarean section are not recommended before 39 weeks unless required for other medical reasons. There may be certain medical reasons for early delivery, such as preeclampsia.