Preterm labor: how to identify and prevent it

Pregnancy has a certain period of time, in which the development, growth and maturity of all the cells, organs, devices and systems of your baby take place, so that it can adapt and survive outside the maternal environment in which she has been living these nine months.

Term pregnancy

A full-term pregnancy is considered when you have between the 37 Y 41 weeks of gestation, optimal time for the birth of your baby. Ideally gestation

Preterm delivery

However, there are various circumstances and factors that can cause your baby to be born prematurely and that your baby has mainly respiratory and neurological complications due to prematurity, worsening his situation the less weeks he has, being very difficult survive before .

• Test that predicts the due date

What are the risk factors for childbirth preterm?

Within the risk factors of a preterm delivery that should be taken into account are:

-Previous childbirth p term.

– Twin pregnancy.

– Polyhydramnios (your baby has a lot of amniotic fluid).

– Chronic degenerative disease such as diabetes, obesity.

– Low weight.

– Smoking.

– History of recurrent abortions.

– Adolescence or advanced maternal age.

– Anatomical alterations at birth of the uterus, vaginal infections.

– Uterine fibroids that They are found in the inner layer of the uterus.

– History of procedures performed on the cervix (cervical conization), among others.

How to help prevent preterm labor?

Is It is important that you go to your prenatal control, that they carry out studies to see that you do not have a urinary tract or vaginal infection and receive timely treatment, that you go to your dentist to treat cavities or periodontal infections.

In the week 20 to 24 can be perform an endovaginal ultrasound that measures the length of your cervix, since a short cervix can be associated with the development of a preterm delivery.

How to identify a preterm pregnancy?

Usually manifests with pain in the lower region abdomen and back and the abdomen becomes very hard, indicating uterine contractions. nas, which are ahead of time (before the week 37 of gestation) and can cause your delivery to be advanced and you have a premature baby .

If you have any of these symptoms it is important that you go immediately to your doctor for a gynecological examination.

There are many medications to try to prevent a pregnancy from occurring prematurely and to give neuroprotective measures and lung maturity to your baby, if you go early and in a timely manner, now that if you have advanced cervical modifications, it will be difficult to stop that labor.

It is important that you know that if this happens, the ideal is that you go to a hospital that has neonatal intensive care services, since in case of not being able to stop That labor, your baby will require multiple attention and care, probably including the use of assisted mechanical ventilation.