197
edits
Changes
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
Line 51:
Line 51: − + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
Preterm births
==Preterm and Post-Term Parturition==
==Preterm and Post-Term Parturition==
Children born before 35 weeks gestation are known as preterm, and children born after 40 gestational weeks are known as post-term.
Children born before 35 weeks gestation are known as preterm, and children born after 40 gestational weeks are known as post-term. The former are susceptible to higher rates of mortality and morbidity (due to underdeveloped organs such as the lungs) whereas the latter can damage mothers during birth (due to their increased size).
Risk factors associated with preterm birth include:
* age (mothers younger than 17 and older than 35)
* infection
* history of preterm births
* multiple pregnancies
* IVF
* foetal abnormality
* growth restriction
* male foetus
* maternal factors (drug and alcohol use, smoking, extreme stress, vigorous exercise, low BMI)
Management of preterm labour includes providing corticosteroids (to increase surfacant in the lungs, hence increasing the ease at which the newborn can survive) and relaxin.