- How to recognize premature labor
- Treatment
- What can happen to the baby
- Characteristics of premature baby
- When the premature baby goes home
Premature birth is characterized by the birth of the baby before 37 weeks of gestation, being the main cause of health problems in the newborn, such as difficulty breathing and heart disease. Get to know other causes of premature birth by clicking here.
Whenever possible, the doctor tries to postpone birth, using medications and techniques to prevent uterine contractions and dilation, however, it is difficult to postpone delivery for more than 48 to 72 hours.
Usually, due to the immaturity of some of the internal organs, such as kidneys, lungs and brains, babies who are born before the expected delivery date, need to be admitted to the neonatal ICU.
How to recognize premature labor
The main sign of labor is strong and rhythmic uterine contractions that occur before 37 weeks of gestation. The contractions that may indicate that labor has started are at least 4 contractions in 20 minutes or 8 contractions in 1 hour, in addition to 1 cm dilation.
To make sure that the labor started, the doctor can evaluate the woman for 2 to 3 hours because if there is no dilation and if the contractions decrease with rest, it can be said that it was a false labor.
| True labor | False labor |
| Regular contractions | Irregular contractions |
| Contractions that become more frequent | There may be a decrease in contractions |
| Pelvic and lower back pain | Abdominal pain |
| Contractions increase when walking | Walking does not interfere with contractions |
| Increased dilation of the cervix | There is no dilation or dilation does not increase |
After identifying that the woman is in labor before the scheduled date, the doctor can keep her hospitalized to assess the baby's health and development. The baby with 26 weeks of gestation or more weeks, must be constantly evaluated to check his heartbeat through fetal cardiotocography.
Treatment
When the woman is between 26 and 34 weeks of gestation, the obstetrician may recommend the use of medications to prevent labor, such as Rhytrina, Atosiban and magnesium sulfate.
These drugs should not be used in case of: fetal death or suffering, malformation incompatible with life, growth restriction, rupture of the membranes, amniotic infection, placental detachment, placenta previa, hypertensive syndrome, uncontrolled diabetes, heart disease and sickle cell anemia.
What can happen to the baby
The complications of premature birth depend mainly on the baby's gestational age at birth and are described below:
- Premature delivery at 23 to 25 weeks: most cases can develop severe disabilities, such as cerebral palsy, blindness or deafness; Premature delivery at 26 and 27 weeks: some cases may develop moderate disabilities, such as visual impairment, lack of motor control, chronic asthma and difficulty in learning; Premature birth at 29 to 31 weeks: most babies develop without problems, but some may have mild forms of cerebral palsy and visual problems; Premature birth at 34 to 36 weeks: premature babies develop similarly to those born within the expected date, but are more likely to have developmental and learning problems.
Generally, premature babies are placed in an incubator, as they are not able to maintain body temperature. Thus, this device maintains temperature and humidity similar to the uterus, allowing its development.
Babies under 34 weeks of gestation may be connected to a breathing apparatus, as before 34 weeks of gestation they lack surfactant, a substance that facilitates the entry of air into the lungs and therefore signs such as bluish color of the nails and fingertips, lips and nose flap.
In addition, babies have a higher risk of retinopathy, which decreases visual ability, so all premature babies need to wear an eye patch while they are admitted to the hospital.
Characteristics of premature baby
The premature baby is small, thin and may have difficulty breathing, having to remain connected to breathing apparatus and tubes to be fed. The baby needs to wear a diaper and can stay in the hospital for weeks or months, being continuously evaluated by pediatricians and physiotherapists. For times, they need to undergo surgery to correct deformities and ensure their proper development.
When the premature baby goes home
Normally, the baby can go home when it reaches 2 kg and when its organs are developed, being able to swallow without the aid of tubes and has no difficulty in breathing. Find out how to care for the premature baby at home by clicking here.
