You can reduce the risk of prematurity by living a healthy lifestyle, managing health conditions, and detecting problems early through regular check-ups and prenatal care. Babies born just a few weeks early have higher rates of hospitalization and illness than full-term infants.
These lifestyle factors might put you at a higher risk:
- Extremely preterm (less than 28 weeks)
- Very preterm (28 to less than 32 weeks)
- Moderate to late preterm (32 to 37 weeks)
Low maternal age refers to an adolescent or teenage pregnancy in which the childbearing parent is under 20 years old.
- Adolescent mothers may face nutritional deficiencies, lack of access to prenatal care, and other social factors that contribute to higher risks of preterm birth, low birth weight, miscarriage, or stillbirth.
High or advanced maternal age is described as pregnancy in a person who is 35 years old or older.
- Pregnant women over age 35 are at higher risk of pregnancy loss, having a baby born with chromosomal abnormality (like Down’s Syndrome), or complications of the placenta.
- Aging is also associated with a decline in fertility, and older mothers may have pre-existing medical conditions that complicate pregnancy.
High blood pressure, or hypertension, is a condition in which the force of the blood pushing against artery walls is consistently too high, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood throughout the body.
It’s best to start pregnancy at a healthy weight. Your health care provider uses your body mass index (also called BMI) before pregnancy to figure out how much weight you should gain during pregnancy.
BMI is a measure of body fat based on your height and weight. You can find your BMI by visiting the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute website via this link.
To find out how much weight you should gain during pregnancy, speak to your provider.
You should never try to lose weight during pregnancy.
High levels of stress that continue for a long time may cause health problems, like high blood pressure and heart disease. During pregnancy, stress can increase the chances of having a baby who is preterm or a low-birthweight baby (weighing less than 5 pounds, 8 ounces).
Tobacco use is the most preventable risk factor for disease, disability and premature death in the United States. In fact, smoking or even just being exposed to secondhand smoke while you’re pregnant can cause your baby to be born too early.
For more information on quitting smoking while pregnant, click here.
Having babies too close together increases your risk for premature births. Waiting at least 18 months between pregnancies can lower your risk of preterm birth by 40 percent.
Studies conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggest that waiting 18 to 23 months after giving birth to get pregnant again is the healthiest option for both mother and infant. This is the ideal amount of time for a mother to recover from vitamin depletion, blood loss, and to allow her reproductive system to heal from the prior birth.
Know your risk of prematurity.
Some women are more likely to go into labor early. Those with a short or weak cervix (the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina) or who have had a premature baby before are more likely to go into labor early.
In these cases, your provider may recommend treatments such as:
Progesterone
This hormone can help lower the chances of going into labor early for women who have had a premature baby before or who have a short cervix. More Info
Cerclage
Providers may recommend cerclage (sair-KLAZH) for women who have had premature babies or miscarriages, who have a short cervix, or who have a cervix that begins to open (dilate) too early. More info
Note: Multiple gestation pregnancies (carrying more than one baby) are also associated with early labor. These treatments can't prevent early labor if you're carrying more than one baby.
Call your provider right away if you think you are in labor.
Moms who think they're in labor or are having contractions (belly pains or cramps) should call their provider right away.
If there's any bleeding or your water breaks (which can be an on-and-off leak, a steady leak, or a gush of fluid), it's important to get to a hospital right away.
If labor starts early, it's best to go to a hospital that has a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Hospitals with a NICU specialize in treating preterm babies.
preterm labor.
Antibiotics
These can treat or prevent infections in the baby and the mother.
Steroids
These can help speed up lung growth and decrease the chances of breathing problems.
Medicine
The doctor might give you medicine to slow or stop labor contractions temporarily.*
*Delaying labor even a day or two can be enough time for steroids to help a baby's lungs develop. It also gives hospital staff time to get the mother to a hospital with a NICU, if needed.
Attending all prenatal appointments can help doctors spot health problems early.
Early treatment can cure many problems and help reduce the risk of premature birth.
While not every premature baby experiences complications, babies who survive an early birth may have breathing problems, cerebral palsy, intellectual disabilities, and other lifelong problems.