Common Causes of Premature Birth

Nature bestows many surprises upon a woman during pregnancy. That natural 'glow' she seems to have, the excitement of feeling that first ‘kick', and even the more unpleasant one like 'morning sickness'. But no expectant mother is prepared for the surprise of pre-term labor.

Okay, so you have done everything right. You quit smoking, you don't drink, you eat right, you wouldn't even consider doing drugs, you follow all the doctor's guidelines, and one day you find yourself in your doctor's office asking, "Why?" Let's take a closer look at a few of the most common answers to that question.

PROM, or the premature rupture of membranes, is the most common cause of premature labor. This occurs when the sac containing the baby and the amniotic fluid bursts or develops a hole before labor begins. The main symptom of PROM is fluid leaking from the vagina, which could be a large gush or a slow trickle.

Doctors are not sure what causes PROM, but believe that vaginal infection or too much amniotic fluid could be factors. PROM is also more likely if you are carrying twins or multiples.

There are no medications or procedures to prevent or stop PROM. Your doctor may, however, be able to give you tocolytics which may stop or prevent labor from beginning. This could give the baby more time to develop. You may also receive steroids to help the babies lungs mature early.

You could have an incompetent or weakened cervix. Ideally, the cervix softens late in pregnancy and begins to dilate when contractions begin. Sometimes, however, as the baby grows and begins to push on the cervix, it begins to open too early, before the baby is ready to be born. This occurs in approximately one in every 100 pregnancies.

The treatment you would receive if your doctor diagnosed you with a weak cervix would be a cerclage, which is a procedure where the doctor actually sews the cervix closed. This procedure is performed at 14-16 weeks of pregnancy, with the sutures being removed at 36-38 weeks to allow for birth.

If you have an abnormally shaped uterus you could be at risk for pre-term labor. There are quite a few uterine abnormalities, but they all have similar results; the baby has less space to grow than it would in a normally shaped womb. There comes a time where there isn't enough room for the baby to grow any more, the over-stretching of the womb causes labor to begin.

Your age could also be a factor. Older women are at an increased risk of complications during pregnancy and are 40% more likely than younger women to have a premature delivery.

We have explored only a few of the most common causes of premature birth. In future articles we will take a closer look at placenta previa, preeclampsia and more.

Until then, control all you can control. Take good care of yourself, eat right, drink plenty of fluids, don't smoke, and stay attuned to the signs your body gives you. If you have any concerns, be sure to talk to your doctor.