If you have signs of preterm labor or are in a high risk category, your health care provider will monitor you for signs of preterm labor. Testing will be done when necessary to assess the baby to help prolong the pregnancy.
The best way to prevent health problems related to preterm birth is to keep the baby inside Mommy for as long as possible. The prevailing thought has been that the most critical time for problems is after the birth or in infancy. By the time preterm babies are off to school, thoughts of the preterm birth may be a distant memory.
Recent research suggests this may not be the case. A Duke University study found that preterm birth is a factor in problems ranging from low academic performance to reproductive problems in the future. In addition, when preterm babies grow up and have their own babies, those infants are more likely to be born preterm.
The study looked at the health of preterm infants into adulthood. The researchers found the birth rate for the preterm adults was lower and that a greater number had reproductive difficulties. The women were found to have an increased risk of preterm labor and still birth in their own pregnancies.
The gestational age at birth was found to be a significant factor in the long term effects of preterm birth. The lower the gestational age at birth, the greater the likelihood of problems lasting into adulthood.
Gestational age was a bigger factor than birth weight in the study. The baby’s birth weight has always been the guide for determining risk of complications. From this study it appears that the week of the pregnancy is far more significant.
This study suggests that treatment for preterm labor to extend the pregnancy is the right way to go. Every week the mother remains pregnant reaps rewards for the baby well into adulthood. For this reason it is important to know the signs of preterm labor and report them to your doctor immediately.
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