Preterm labor is defined as the presence of regular uterine contractions with progressive cervical changes before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. Spontaneous preterm labor accounts for 40% to 50% of all preterm births [1]. An estimated 13 million babies (−10% of all births) are born preterm each year worldwide, and approximately 1 million of all newborn deaths are due to preterm birth [2]. At ...

Adults who were born preterm with a very low birth weight have higher blood pressure and impaired glucose regulation later in life compared with those born at term. We investigated cardiometabolic risk factors in young adults who were born at any degree of prematurity in the Preterm Birth and Early Life Programming of Adult Health and Disease (ESTER) Study, a population-based cohort study of in...

objective: threatened miscarriage is a common complication in pregnancy that leads to adverse pregnancy outcomes such as preterm labor. this study aimed to compare the vaginal progesterone (cyclogest) versus 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (proluton) on preventing preterm labor in pregnant women with threatened abortion at less than 34 weeks’ gestational age. materials and methods: this b...

Background: Preterm labor is a major problem in obstetric practice. Rates of preterm birth vary between different populations and ethnic groups. In maternal fetal medicine, gender differences in outcome are often observed. Epidemiologic studies have suggested that the incidence of preterm birth is also higher in pregnancies carrying a male fetus. The purpose of this article is to review the evi...

BACKGROUND Rates of preterm birth are rising worldwide. Studies from the United States and Latin America suggest that much of this rise relates to increased rates of medically indicated preterm birth. In contrast, European and Australian data suggest that increases in spontaneous preterm labour also play a role. We aimed, in a population-based database of 5 million people, to determine the temp...

Worldwide, preterm birth annually affects more than 15 million infants. Despite increasing knowledge of the risk factors and mechanisms associated with preterm labor, the preterm birth rate has risen in most industrialized countries. The ability to identify women at high risk for spontaneous preterm birth is crucial yet remains difficult. The aim of the present study was to assess the value of ...

Endocrine control of cardiovascular function is probably immature in the preterm infant; thus, it may contribute to the relative ineffectiveness of current adrenergic treatments for preterm cardiovascular compromise. This study aimed to determine the cardiovascular and hormonal responses to stress in the preterm piglet. Piglets were delivered by cesarean section either preterm (97 of 115 days) ...

This second paper in the Born Too Soon supplement presents a review of the epidemiology of preterm birth, and its burden globally, including priorities for action to improve the data. Worldwide an estimated 11.1% of all livebirths in 2010 were born preterm (14.9 million babies born before 37 weeks of gestation), with preterm birth rates increasing in most countries with reliable trend data. Dir...

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to estimate national hospital costs for infant admissions that are associated with preterm birth/low birth weight. METHODS Infant (<1 year) hospital discharge data, including delivery, transfers, and readmissions, were analyzed by using the 2001 Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. The Nationwide Inpatient Samp...

BACKGROUND Information about the recurrence of spontaneous preterm birth in subsequent twin/singleton pregnancies is scattered. OBJECTIVES To quantify the risk of recurrence of spontaneous preterm birth in different subtypes of subsequent pregnancies. SEARCH STRATEGY An electronic literature search in OVID MEDLINE and EMBASE, complemented by PubMed, to find recent studies. SELECTION CRITE...