Premature labor is a condition that begins before the 37th week of pregnancy. Normal preganancies reach term at 36 to 37 weeks, though women who give birth to babies anywhere from the 28th to the 36th week are considered premature. Causes for premature labor are unknown but may be related to a variety of factors such as physical health, activity levels, stress and medical conditions. Learning identify risks for premature labor may help pregnant women carry their babies to as close to term as possible to give infants the best chances of fully developed lungs and cardiac systems, as well as birth weights. Premature labor may, in some cases, lead to grossly underweight infants and increased mortaility rate.
Instructions
1. Know if you are you carrying twins, triplets or more. Studies have shown that women carrying more than one child have an increased risk of going into premature labor. In addition, risks increase for those women carrying a smaller than normal fetus despite gestational age.
2. Be aware that risks for premature labor increase if the mother has experienced conditions such as preeclampsia, diabetes or high blood pressure during her pregnancy.
3. Ask your doctor if you have a normal uterus. Women with an unusually shaped uterus, or those with a smaller or larger size uterus than normal often experience premature labor and delivery than those with normal uterus development.
4. Take a look at your personal habits. Do you drink or smoke? If you do, your risks of delivering a premature baby or going into premature labor increase dramatically, as well as the chance of delivering a low-birthweight infant. Women should refrain from smoking or drinking during their pregnancies.
5. Check if you are under 18 years old or over 40 years old. If so, your risks of going into premature labor have increased. In addition, women who could be considered underweight at the time of her pregnacy also experience a higher risk of going into premature labor.
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