Premature births are more likely if the previous child is also premature

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Medical Video: Managing Risks for Premature Babies

Having experience in giving birth to a premature baby certainly poses a physical and emotional challenge for mothers. So, it's only natural that you wonder and worry when planning your next pregnancy, whether or not to repeat the same thing later. In fact, mothers who have a history of giving birth to a premature baby are at risk of experiencing premature birth again. So, what is the cause and can it be prevented? Here's the full explanation.

What is premature birth?

Premature babies are babies born before 37 weeks of gestation or more than 3 weeks before the estimated birth day (HPL). This can be caused by problems with maternal health, for example diabetes, heart disease, and kidney disease. However, the main cause of preterm labor is still uncertain.

Some pregnancy problems can also increase the risk of preterm labor, including:

  • Cervical incompetence (weak cervix)
  • The cervix is ​​too short (less than 25 millimeters)
  • Infection, whether it is a urinary tract infection or an infection of the amniotic membrane
  • Poor nutrition before or during pregnancy
  • Preeclampsia
  • Placenta previa
  • Premature rupture of membranes (KPD)
  • Age of mother, either too young or too old
  • Pregnancy distance is too short
  • Previous preterm labor history

So, what causes recurrent premature birth?

A history of preterm labor is one of the biggest risk factors for giving birth to other premature babies. Yes, it is true that mothers may experience premature labor in subsequent pregnancies.

Quoted from the Very Well page, mothers who have had a premature delivery have a 15 percent risk of giving birth to a premature baby again. Meanwhile, mothers who have two premature babies have a 40 percent risk of returning to giving birth to a premature baby. This number will continue to increase along with the large number of preterm deliveries that have been passed.

As explained earlier, preterm labor can be caused by a variety of things, either due to medical problems or the physical condition of the mother. Of course there is something that can be prevented and not. Examples of causes that can be prevented and treated are problems such as infection, weak cervix, preeclampsia, and placenta previa. If these health problems are not treated immediately, then this can provide an opportunity for premature labor in subsequent pregnancies.

Can repeat preterm birth be prevented?

Unfortunately, medical science has not found a way that is 100 percent capable of preventing premature labor. But don't despair first, a number of studies have found ways to detect and prevent the possibility of preterm labor. So, you still have the opportunity to give birth normally and have a healthy and perfect baby.

Here are some things you can do to detect and prevent the possibility of subsequent preterm labor:

  1. Detect pregnancy. The latest discovery in the form of cervical ultrasound has contributed greatly to detecting early signs of preterm labor. This procedure can be done from the beginning of 16 weeks' gestation. In addition, it also needs to be supported by examination of the mother's blood and vaginal fluids to provide more accurate predictive results.
  2. Injecting the progesterone hormone. Weekly injections of progesterone can help prevent premature birth in mothers with a history of one preterm birth. Injections usually begin between the 16th and 20th weeks of pregnancy, then continue for 37 weeks.
  3. Prevention with cerclage. Cerclage is a suture procedure to cover your cervix so the baby is not born too early. Studies show that this procedure is useful for preventing preterm birth in women who have a history of premature delivery.
  4. Get enough rest and administer medication. Healthy pregnant women are definitely recommended for adequate rest and avoid fatigue. Well, just as for mothers who want to reduce the risk of recurring preterm birth. However, further research is still needed to find out how big the impact is on preventing preterm birth.

Immediately consult your doctor to get the best advice to reduce risk and prevent recurring preterm birth.

Premature births are more likely if the previous child is also premature
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