It is estimated that around seven per cent of babies in the UK are born prematurely that is before 37 weeks. There's often
little risk for the mother, but the implications for the baby can be varied.
Causes
It is worth mentioning that in around 40% of cases of premature birth, the cause is unknown. Other causes include:
- Pre-eclampsia
- Multiple pregnancy
- Antenatal haemorrhage
- Illness in the mother, such as diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease
- Cervical incompetence
- Foetal abnormalities or death
There are more recent studies that would seem to suggest that stress, especially where it is brought on suddenly,
can be seen to induce premature labour. There are certain infections such as gonorrhoea and group B streptococci that have been linked with the onset of premature labour. The risk from these infections can be minimised by screening for
and treating such infections with antibiotics.
Treatment
The plain fact is that methods of halting labour once it has begun are often unsuccessful, the methods used often including
drugs to stop contractions, ties to keep the cervix from dilating and antibiotics to treat infection. More often than not
the methods fail but that is not to say that they are useless, most methods give the medical staff precious time to help the
baby prepare for birth by administering drugs that mature the babies lungs and give them a better chance at survival.
Complications
In most cases babies born after 34 weeks only have a low risk of problems because their systems have almost completely
matured and labour is usually allowed to continue.
When a baby is born under 28 weeks they need to be delivered in a hospital with a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
Their survival hopes have improved and some babies born as early as 22 weeks have survived, unfortunately these babies are
at risk of many significant long-term problems.
Prevention
In most cases there is little a pregnant woman can do to prevent premature labour, but it is suggested that you may be
able to reduce your risk if you:
