Preventing Preterm Birth

Preterm birth is when a baby is delivered between 20 weeks and 37 weeks of pregnancy. A full-term pregnancy lasts for at least 37 complete weeks. Preterm birth can increase the risk of complications for your baby because the baby has not matured fully before being born.

How can preterm birth affect my baby?

• Breathing problems.
• Problems with vision or hearing.
• Trouble with feeding.
• Infections or inflammation of the digestive tract (colitis).
• Low birth weight or very low birth weight.
• Brain damage that causes developmental delays and learning disabilities, and that affects movement and coordination (cerebral palsy).
• Higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure later in life.

What can increase my risk of having a preterm birth?

Medical History

• The exact cause of preterm birth is unknown. The following factors make you more likely to have a preterm birth:
  • Being diagnosed with placenta previa. This is a condition in which the placenta covers the lowest part of your uterus (cervix), which opens into the vagina.
  • Certain conditions of your current and past pregnancies, such as:
    • Having had a preterm birth before.
    • Being pregnant with multiples.
    • Having less than 18 months between pregnancies.
    • Certain abnormalities in your unborn baby.
    • Vaginal bleeding during pregnancy.
    • Becoming pregnant through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
• Being overweight or underweight.
• Medical history of:
  • STIs (sexually transmitted infections) or other infections of the urinary tract and the vagina.
  • Long-term (chronic) illnesses, such as blood clotting problems, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
  • Short cervix.

Lifestyle and environmental factors

• Using tobacco products or drugs.
• Drinking alcohol.
• Having stress and no social support.
• Violence in the home (domestic violence).
• Being exposed to certain chemicals or pollutants in the environment.

What actions can I take to prevent preterm birth?

Medical care

The most important thing you can do to lower your risk for preterm birth is to get routine medical care during pregnancy (prenatal care). Keep all follow-up visits. This is important.

• You may be referred to a health care provider who specializes in managing high-risk pregnancies (perinatologist).
• You may be given medicine to help prevent preterm birth.

Lifestyle

• Wait at least 6 months after a pregnancy to become pregnant again.
• Get to a healthy weight before getting pregnant. If you are overweight, work with your health care provider to safely lose weight.
• Do not use any products that contain nicotine or tobacco. These products include cigarettes, chewing tobacco, and vaping devices, such as e-cigarettes. If you need help quitting, ask your health care provider.
• Do not drink alcohol.
• Do not use drugs.
• Eat a healthy diet.
• Manage other medical problems, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.

Where to find support

• Talking with your health care provider.
• Talking with a therapist or substance abuse counselor, if you need help quitting.
• Working with a dietitian or a personal trainer to maintain a healthy weight.
• Joining a support group.

Where to find more information

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: cdc.gov
• March of Dimes: marchofdimes.org
• American Pregnancy Association: americanpregnancy.org

Contact a health care provider if:

• A change or increase in vaginal discharge.
• Fluid leaking from your vagina.
• Pressure or cramps in your lower abdomen.
• A backache that does not go away or gets worse.
• Regular tightening (contractions) in your lower abdomen.

Get help right away if:

• You are having regular painful contractions every 5 minutes or less.
• Your water breaks.

Summary

• Preterm birth means having your baby during weeks 20–37 of pregnancy.
• Preterm birth may put your baby at risk for health complications.
• The exact cause of preterm birth is unknown.
• Getting routine prenatal care can help prevent preterm birth. Keep all follow-up visits. This is important.
• Contact a health care provider if you have symptoms of preterm labor.