Premature Labor

Premature Labor General Information

In general cases, a pregnancy lasts for about forty weeks. There are also cases in which the labor can begin earlier in the 37th week due to uterine contractions that cause the cervix to open earlier than in normal cases. This opening can lead to Premature Labor. When the patient is diagnosed with this condition, the baby is born prematurely and has an increased risk of developing health problems. Nowadays researchers try to develop certain technologies and improve the medicines to decrease the rate of premature babies. There are certain risks that can expose the mother to developing Premature Labor, although most causes of the condition are unknown. Being exposed to one of the risk factors does not mean that the patient is predetermined to have a premature baby.

There are cases in which the patient presented the condition without any reason. It is very important for the patient to know the signs and symptoms that it can cause, especially if she knows she has an increased risk of developing it. There are certain factors that can cause the premature born and can appear when the patient is pregnant with multiples, has had a previous premature birth or she has certain uterine or cervical disorders. Premature Labor can also appear if the patient presents the following medical conditions: recurring bladder and kidney infections, urinary tract infections, vaginal infections, and sexually transmitted infections, vaginal bleeding, diabetes, and thrombophilia. There are cases in which it can develop due to the patient’s lifestyle, or when she smokes, drinks alcohol or uses drugs.

Premature Labor Symptoms

It is very important to know the signs and symptoms that can be caused by Premature Labor, because by doing this, the patient can prevent it from happening by administrating the available treatment. The most common signs and symptoms that a patient can experience before the disease’s development can include contractions every 10 minutes, or more frequently in one hour, watery fluid discharge from the patient’s vagina, a sign that can indicate that the bag of water is broken, menstrual cramps that can be felt in the patient’s lower abdomen and can appear as constant or as interrupted. Sometimes, low, dull backache which can be experienced below the waistline, pelvic pressure can be experienced like a feeling that the baby is pushing down; abdominal cramps that can be accompanied by diarrhea or changes in the regular vaginal discharge can be accused.

Usually, the mechanism of the patient’s contractions is characterized by a muscle hardness of the patient’s uterus that can be felt in the abdominal area. During a pregnancy, the layers of the patient’s uterus usually tighten but this process is not painful. But if the patient presents an increased risk of developing Premature Labor, the tightness of the uterus layers can become painful and it can lead to the opening of the cervix. It is very important to contact the medic as soon as possible after the patient suspects that she is having signs and symptoms of Premature Labor. It is very important for the patient to be constantly calm, because stress can aggravate the condition.

Premature Labor Treatment

In most cases, if a patient is suspected of developing Premature Labor, there are two available tests that she can do. Usually, a negative result is particularly useful because it can decrease the intensity of the treatment and avoid any unnecessary interventions that can shorten the period of hospitalization. The test can include measuring the patient’s length of the cervix and fetal fibronectin screening. Usually, the practitioner measures the patient’s length of the cervix in the first prenatal visits to determine any changes as the pregnancy progresses.

The first signs of Premature Labor appear when the patient’s cervix is getting shorter in the middle stages of the pregnancy or it is beginning to thin out. If the patient presents an increased risk of cervical insufficiency or if she presents signs and symptoms that can indicate changes in the cervix such as pelvic pressure, backache or abnormal mucus leaking, doctors usually perform an ultrasound procedure to measure the cervix more precisely and to look for signs that changes it. If the test is positive, the first measure is to recommend the patient to have plenty of rest, to cut out work or any activity, to abstain from sex and to stop certain lifestyle habits. Depending on the fetus’ gestational age, the doctor can perform another ultrasound test to see if the patient’s condition is improving.

There are cases in which the patient can be in the first 24 weeks of pregnancy and presents cervix changes, but no contractions, doctors can recommend a cerclage, which is a procedure that consists in a band of strong threads that is stitched around the patient’s cervix to hold him closed. There are cases, in which Premature Labor can develop despite the prevention measures that have been taken. To achieve benefits from the cerclage procedure, the patient has to present three or more unexplained losses and preterm births. The fetal fibronectin screening test is usually reserved for patients that experience contractions or other signs and symptoms of Premature Labor. Fetal fibronectin is a protein that is generally secreted by the fetal membranes. If more than a small amount of this protein turns in a sample of the patient’s cervical and vaginal secretions, the patient is diagnosed with an increased risk of developing Premature Labor.

In most cases, if the test proves to be positive, the first option is to administrate medicines that help holding off the labor, or to administrate corticosteroids that can help the baby’s lungs to develop more rapidly. The most common drugs used are: Brethine, Brethaire, Bricanyl, Prometrium, Crinone, Progest, Endometrin and Prochieve. If the test proves to be negative, the doctors can decrease the treatment in intensity and avoid hospitalization or other unnecessary treatment. There are cases in which doctors choose to apply a technique called uterine activity monitoring or HUAM, which consists in wearing a sensor around the patient’s abdomen which helps recording daily uterine activity. This kind of procedure is very expensive and most patients choose not to apply it.