Causes And Complications Of Preterm Birth

Introduction

Preterm birth is a birth that happens before 37 weeks of pregnancy. Most pregnancies last about 39–41 weeks. Every week in the womb is important and is beneficial to the health of the infant. Depending on when the infant was born, he or she may be:

Late preterm. This is when a baby is born between 32 weeks and 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Very preterm. This is when a baby is born at less than 32 weeks of pregnancy.

Extremely preterm. This is when a baby is born at less than 25 weeks of pregnancy.

The earlier a baby is born, the more likely the child will have issues related to prematurity. Complications and problems that can be seen in infants born too early include:

Problems breathing (respiratory distress syndrome).

Low birth weight.

Infections such as pneumonia.

Babies born very preterm or extremely preterm are at risk for more serious medical issues. These include:

More severe breathing issues.

Eyesight issues.

Brain development issues (intraventricular hemorrhage).

Behavioral and emotional development issues.

Growth and developmental delays.

Cerebral palsy.

Serious feeding or bowel complications (necrotizing enterocolitis).

What are the causes?

There are two general types of preterm birth.

Spontaneous preterm birth. This is a birth resulting from preterm labor that is not medically induced or preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM).

Indicated preterm birth. This is a birth resulting from labor being medically induced due to health, personal, or social reasons.

What increases the risk?

Preterm birth may be related to certain medical conditions, lifestyle factors, or demographic factors encountered by the mother or fetus.

Medical conditions include:

Multiple gestations, such as twins or triplets.

Infection.

Diabetes.

Heart or kidney disease.

Cervical or uterine abnormalities.

Being underweight.

High blood pressure or preeclampsia.

Premature rupture of membranes (PROM).

Birth defects in the fetus.

Lifestyle factors