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Preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is the birth of a baby at fewer than 37 weeks gestational age, as opposed to full-term delivery at approximately 40 weeks. [1] Extreme preterm [ 2 ] is less than 28 weeks, very early preterm birth is between 28 and 32 weeks, early preterm birth occurs between 32 and 34 weeks, late preterm birth is ...
A preterm birth, also known as premature birth, is defined as babies born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed. [40] There are three types of preterm births: extremely preterm (less than 28 weeks), very preterm (28 to 32 weeks) and moderate to late preterm (32 to 37 weeks). [40]
Adults born preterm have higher all-cause mortality rates as compared to full-term adults. Premature birth is associated with a 1.2x to 1.6x increase in all-cause mortality rates during early to mid-adulthood. Those born extremely prematurely (22–27 weeks) have an even higher mortality rate of 1.9x to 4.0x. [3]
Late preterm infants are infants born at a gestational age between 34 + 0 ⁄ 7 weeks and 36 + 6 ⁄ 7 weeks. [1] They have higher morbidity and mortality rates than term infants (gestational age ≥37 weeks) due to their relative physiologic and metabolic immaturity, even though they are often the size and weight of some term infants.
According to the WHO, a preterm birth is defined as "babies born alive before 37 weeks of pregnancy are completed." [20] According to this classification, there are three sub-categories of preterm birth, based on gestational age: extremely preterm (fewer than 28 weeks), very preterm (28 to 32 weeks), moderate to late preterm (32 to 37 weeks). [20]
Rarely, in cases of preterm PROM, amniotic fluid will stop leaking and the amniotic fluid volume will return to normal. [11] If PROM occurs before 37 weeks, it is called preterm prelabor rupture of membranes (PPROM), and the baby and mother are at greater risk of complications. PPROM causes one-third of all preterm births. [22]
The mechanism of preterm birth is heterogeneous and poorly understood. It may be tied to one or more of the following processes: premature fetal endocrine activation, intrauterine inflammation, over-distension of the uterus, and endometrial bleeding. A prominent risk factor for preterm birth is prior history of preterm delivery.
Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is when water breaks both before the onset of labor and before the pregnancy's 37 week gestation. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] In the United States, more than 120,000 pregnancies per year are affected by a premature rupture of membranes, which is the cause of about one third of preterm deliveries .