Most deliveries occur "at term", that is, they occur between week 37 and week 42 of gestation, counted from the first day of the last menstruation. But if the delivery is advanced, and occurs before week 37, we talk about preterm or premature delivery: This occurs between 6-12% of births in most countries.
Children born prematurely do not have fully developed organs and weigh less. Therefore they are exposed to more complications (respiratory distress, infections, eating disorders), they may need special care admitted to the hospital.
Many premature babies become little heroes thanks to medical and technological advances and get ahead without sequelae, probably with the help of the valuable kangaroo method. But the more premature the birth, the more likely it is that it can cause health problems for the newborn, and the babies at birth before the 32nd week of gestation are the most at risk (approximately 20% of all premature births ).
In the most severe cases, these complications can become severe (cerebral palsy ...) and endanger your life, leaving permanent sequelae that involve some type of long-term disability (vision difficulties, walking, lung problems, learning problems ...)
Any pregnant woman can have a premature delivery, although those who had it in a previous pregnancy, those with twin or multiple pregnancies, and those with some uterine malformation are at greater risk. Some lifestyle factors may also pose a greater risk: such as poor prenatal control, smoking, drinking alcohol, illegal drug use, domestic violence (including physical, sexual and emotional abuse), lack of social support, stress, and work long hours and stand for long periods of time.
Also, some medical conditions during pregnancy can also increase the likelihood of a woman having a preterm birth: premature rupture of the membranes, some vaginal and urinary infections, diabetes, high blood pressure, bleeding disorders, vaginal bleeding. Given these factors, it is possible to have certain habits to prevent preterm birth.
How to prevent premature delivery?
Although there are several known factors that lead to premature birth, its cause is unknown in almost half of all births of this type. It is therefore very difficult to predict and prevent, but still there are some things the pregnant woman can do to minimize the risks of having a preterm birth.
Attend all prenatal consultations, continuing to go even if you are well.
If you smoke, stop smoking or try to minimize the amount of cigarettes. Avoid environments with smoke.
Do not drink alcohol or use drugs. 
Reduce stress. Rest the time you need (Although this seems impossible almost always!).
If you suffer abuse or abuse, discuss it with someone, seek help, tell the doctor or the police: it is necessary to protect yourself and your baby.
If you feel burning or painful urination, consult your doctor as you may have an infection.
Learn what are the signs that can announce a preterm birth and what should be done in that case. It is what we discuss next.
What signs can announce a preterm birth?
Although there are not always signs that precede it, If we notice any of the following changes before the deadline we must get alert and ask for the evaluation of a specialist:
Contractions (the abdomen gets hard) every 10 minutes or more frequently, about an hour.
Change in vaginal discharge (loss of fluid or severe bleeding from the vagina, although revision is also recommended for mild vaginal blood loss, especially if accompanied by pain or any other symptoms).
Any of the following symptoms, if they do not disappear or get worse in an hour (if the symptoms improve or disappear, it is advisable to rest the rest of the day):
- Pressure in the pelvis (feels that the baby is pushing down).
- Mild or dull pain in the lower back.
- Colic or pain as if I had menstruation.
- Abdominal cramps with or without diarrhea.
If the woman notices the symptoms of premature delivery, she should go to the hospital immediately., where the appropriate exams will be performed and if it is confirmed that she has a risk of premature delivery, the pregnant woman will be admitted to administer the most appropriate treatment (rest, although this has been questioned; and depending on the circumstance, medication to stop contractions or antibiotic or both, often through serum intravenously).
If the pregnancy is less than 35 weeks, you may be given a medication (corticosteroids) to accelerate the maturity of the baby's organs.
In any case, a preterm birth cannot always be stopped in the hospital. This will depend on each particular case, but it is important to go to the hospital as soon as possible, since when you are still in an early stage of preterm birth, there will be more possibilities to delay delivery or take appropriate measures to reduce the Possible consequences thereof. As we have said, most premature babies will overcome difficulties thanks to early attention.
Photos | iStock
Via | Madrid.org
In Babies and more | Bed rest to avoid preterm birth, questioned, Waiting a short time between pregnancies increases the risk of premature delivery, A healthy diet in pregnancy reduces the risk of premature delivery
