Pregnant Women Must Know! Premature Birth

Birth that occurs before the gestational age reaches 37 weeks. The cause of premature birth is the presence of contractions or excess pressure that triggers the cervix to open and causes the fetus to enter the birth canal.

Know the Risk of Premature Birth?

About 70% of fetal, neonatal and perinatal morbidity and mortality are caused by prematurity
Preterm labor mostly occurs in women with pregnancies without risk, but the risk will increase if there is a history of:
Premature Partition
Multiple Pregnancy
Bleeding after the First Trimester
Maternal conditions that often cause preterm labor are:

• Severe preeclampsia and eclampsia
• Antepartum bleeding
• Chorioamnionitis
• Severe heart or lung disease, acute kidney

Fetal conditions that can cause preterm labor:

• Concern for the fetus
• Intrauterine infection
• Slowest fetal growth
• Rhesus isoimmunization

The incidence of preterm labor occurs approximately 7% of all pregnancies, this is a slight change in the incidence rate due to the new technology that supports the hospital. In 2005, around 9.6% of births worldwide were preterm births and in Indonesia alone the incidence of babies with premature birth weight was roughly 27.9% nationally.

Causes of preterm / premature labor

• Idiopathic
• Antepartum bleeding
• Premature/early rupture of membranes
• Chorioamnionitis
• Multiple pregnancies/polyhydramnios
• Incompetent cervix and cervical anomalies
• Mother's disease
• Fetal abnormalities

Steps to diagnose preterm labor

• Determine the start time of labour
• Review history and risk factors
• Assess uterine activity
• Serial cervical examination and indication
• Examination with a sterile speculum is performed on premature rupture of membranes
• Postpone digital examination, if there is undiagnosed prevaginal bleeding until the location of the placenta is known

If you complain about certain health problems during pregnancy, don't hesitate to visit the nearest health facility to get a proper diagnosis and treatment from an obstetrician.

You can also use the Find a Doctor feature to find a doctor's schedule, book, and make an appointment with the doctor concerned or use the application Hello Hermina to make it easier for you to consult directly with the doctor online.