User:Mr. Ibrahem/Preterm birth
Medical condition / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks' gestational age, as opposed to the usual about 40 weeks.[1] These babies are known as preemies or premmies.[1] Symptoms of preterm labor include uterine contractions which occur more often than every ten minutes or the leaking of fluid from the vagina.[8] Premature infants are at greater risk for cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing problems and sight problems.[1] The earlier a baby is born, the greater these risks will be.[1]
Preterm birth | |
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Other names | Premature birth, preemies, premmies |
Intubated preterm baby in an incubator | |
Specialty | Obstetrics, pediatrics |
Symptoms | Birth of a baby at younger than 37 weeks' gestational age[1] |
Complications | Cerebral palsy, delays in development, hearing problems, sight problems[1] |
Causes | Often unknown[2] |
Risk factors | Diabetes, high blood pressure, being pregnant with more than one baby, obesity or underweight, a number of vaginal infections, celiac disease, tobacco smoking, psychological stress[2][3][4] |
Prevention | Progesterone[5] |
Treatment | Corticosteroids, keeping the baby warm through skin-to-skin contact, supporting breastfeeding, treating infections, supporting breathing[2][6] |
Frequency | ~15 million a year (12% of deliveries)[2] |
Deaths | 805,800[7] |
The cause of preterm birth is often not known.[2] Risk factors include diabetes, high blood pressure, being pregnant with more than one baby, being either obese or underweight, a number of vaginal infections, air pollution including tobacco smoking, and psychological stress.[2][3][9] It is recommended that labor not be medically induced before 39 weeks unless required for other medical reasons.[2] The same recommendation applies to cesarean section.[2] Medical reasons for early delivery include preeclampsia.[10]
In those at risk, the hormone progesterone, if taken during pregnancy, may prevent preterm birth.[5] Evidence does not support the usefulness of bed rest.[5][11] It is estimated that at least 75% of preterm infants would survive with appropriate treatment, and the survival rate is highest among the infants born the latest.[2] In women who might deliver between 24 and 37 weeks, corticosteroids improve outcomes.[6][12] A number of medications, including nifedipine, may delay delivery so that a mother can be moved to where more medical care is available and the corticosteroids have a greater chance to work.[13] Once the baby is born, care includes keeping the baby warm through skin-to-skin contact, supporting breastfeeding, treating infections and supporting breathing.[2]
Preterm birth is the most common cause of death among infants worldwide.[1] About 15 million babies are preterm each year (5% to 18% of all deliveries).[2] In the United Kingdom they are about 7.9% and in the United States they are about 12.3% of all births.[14][15] Approximately 0.5% of births are extremely early periviable births, and these account for most of the deaths.[16] In many countries, rates of premature births have increased between the 1990s and 2010s.[2] Complications from preterm births resulted in 0.81 million deaths in 2015 down from 1.57 million in 1990.[7][17] The chance of survival at 22 weeks is about 6%, while at 23 weeks it is 26%, 24 weeks 55% and 25 weeks about 72%.[18] The chances of survival without any long-term difficulties are lower.[19]