- A full-term pregnancy lasts between 37 weeks and 40 weeks in length; births prior to 37 weeks gestation are considered premature. Preterm labor and birth can occur with any pregnancy. According to the March of Dimes, one out of every eight babies born in the United States is born prematurely; in four out of 10 cases of preterm birth, the cause is unknown.
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The three most common risk factors associated with preterm labor and birth are:
Being a woman with certain cervical or uterine abnormalities
Being a woman who has had a previous preterm birth
Being a woman who is pregnant with more than one child (i.e., twins, triplets) -
Various medical conditions can also place a woman at risk of developing preterm labor and consequently having a preterm birth. These are:
Infections
Diabetes
High blood pressure
Clotting disorders (thrombophilia)
Bleeding from the vagina
Certain birth defects (anomalies of the baby)
Being pregnant with a single baby after in vitro fertilization (IVF)
Being underweight before pregnancy
Obesity
Short time frame between pregnancies (less than 6 to 9 months between birth of the previous child and the beginning of the next pregnancy)
Those younger than age 17 or over age 35
Those with a history of poor nutrition -
According to the March of Dimes, the following are lifestyle and environmental factors that may place a pregnant woman at risk for preterm labor and birth:
Late entry into prenatal care or no prenatal care
Domestic violence or abuse (physical, sexual or emotional)
Illegal drug use
Alcohol use
Stress
Lack of a support system
Working long hours with long periods of standing -
Usually, infants born between 22 and 23 weeks gestation are not developed enough to survive. According to the National Institutes of Health, those born at 28 weeks have a 90 percent survival rate. In general, the earlier in pregnancy that an infant is born, and the lower the birth weight, the greater the risk of complications. These complications include, but are not limited, to:
Anemia
Underdeveloped lungs (bronchopulmonary dysplasia, neonatal respiratory distress syndrome)
Bleeding into the brain (intraventricular brain hemorrhage of the newborn)
Infection (neonatal sepsis)
Heart disease
Low blood sugar (hypoglycemia)
Newborn jaundice
Inflammation of the intestinal tract and progress to necrotizing enterocolitis (death of tissue in the gastrointestinal tract)
Blindness, vision loss, retinopathy
Delayed growth and development
Motor and/or cognitive delay or disability -
According to the Institute of Medicine, "the annual societal [cost]... associated with preterm birth in the United States was at a minimum $26.2 billion in 2005, or $51,600 per infant born preterm. Nearly two-thirds of this cost was for medical care. [Additionally]...Medical care services contributed $16.9 billion ($33,200 per preterm infant) ... Maternal delivery costs contributed another $1.9 billion ($3,800 per preterm infant)...Early intervention services cost an estimated $611 million ($1,200 per infant)...Special education services... added another $1.1 billion ($2,200 per preterm infant)...lost household and labor market productivity associated with preterm birth disabilities contributed $5.7 billion ($11,200 per preterm infant)."
The cost associated with preterm birth has had a profound effect on society, financially and emotionally; it would be beneficial if preterm birth could be avoided. - The goals of the March of Dimes "About Prematurity" campaign are to raise awareness concerning prematurity and reduce the rate of preterm birth. Interested people can participate in the campaign by continuing to become educated on the topic of prematurity, as well as donating to or becoming involved in the March of Dimes.
