What if baby is born at 34 weeks

Researchers and obstetricians have studied for years if women can do anything to prevent preterm labor. Because of this, no one intervention or treatment can prevent all preterm births. Recent studies have shown that treatment with a hormone named progesterone can lower the rate of preterm birth by as much as 30—50 percent.

Progesterone is a steroid hormone. Pregnant women naturally produce this hormone on their own. Some obstetricians prescribe corticosteroids to speed up lung development and prevent other complications in growing fetuses that are at risk of being born early. When and how a fetus gets these corticosteroids in the womb is something that doctors determine on a case-by-case basis.

Early evaluation and consultation in our clinic will help you start this process. Getting medical care early on in your pregnancy will reduce your chances of having a preterm birth. Any woman who is pregnant should have an appointment during the first 12 weeks of her pregnancy, regardless of her chances of having a preterm birth.

Your first visit in the Utah Preterm Birth Prevention Clinic should take place between 10 and 18 weeks gestation. This helps doctors estimate your due date and give you a physical exam to identify risk factors, including any risks that are caused by earlier preterm deliveries. Coming to our clinic when you are 10 to 18 weeks pregnant also lets us detect any inflammation or infection. The blood pressure and urine checks you're offered at your midwife appointments check for the early signs.

Know the others signs of pre-eclampsia to look out for, including a bad headache, swelling and vision problems. Gas and air Entonox is a form of pain relief you can be offered in labour, including at a home birth. If you have any of the following symptoms, you should contact your midwife, doctor or hospital.

If this happens, trust your own instincts. See your doctor or midwife, or go to the hospital. Some premature labours can be stopped or delayed. If your baby is growing well and getting all they need from your body, the longer your baby can stay in your womb, the better.

One way to prepare is by talking to your health professionals and asking some questions about premature birth.

In Australia, most premature babies survive. And survival rates keep getting better as medical knowledge gets better. Survival is affected by how premature a baby is. For example, moderately premature babies are more likely to survive than extremely premature babies. If you or your baby has a complication and is not doing well, your medical team might decide to induce labor early or perform a cesarean section before 37 weeks.

This might happen if you have a serious medical condition, such as severe or worsening preeclampsia or if your baby has stopped growing, for example. The rest are known as spontaneous preterm births. You may end up having a spontaneous preterm birth if you go into labor prematurely, if your water breaks early known as preterm premature rupture of membranes, or PPROM , or if your cervix opens prematurely with no contractions known as cervical insufficiency.

Call your midwife or doctor right away if you're having any of the following symptoms before 37 weeks:. These symptoms can be confusing because some of them, such as pelvic pressure or low back pain, are common during pregnancy, and sporadic early contractions may just be Braxton Hicks contractions. But it's always better to be safe than sorry, so call your healthcare provider right away if you're experiencing anything unusual at any time during your pregnancy.

To catch any potential problems early on, it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with symptoms you should never ignore during pregnancy. Many technological advances have been made to help treat preterm infants, and many preterm babies go on to lead healthy lives.

Still, the closer a baby is born to term, the better the outlook. Preterm birth can cause serious health problems or even be fatal for a baby, particularly if it happens very early. In general, the more mature a baby is at birth, the better his chances of surviving and being healthy.

Some preterm babies may have problems breathing. Prematurity also puts a baby at a greater risk for brain hemorrhage. The nervous system, gastrointestinal tract, and other organs may be affected too. Preterm babies are more prone to infection and jaundice and may have difficulty feeding as well as trouble maintaining their body temperature. Survivors sometimes suffer long-term health consequences, including chronic lung disease, vision and hearing impairment, cerebral palsy, and developmental problems.

Most premature babies are born between 34 and 37 weeks. If these "late preterm infants" have no other health problems, they generally do significantly better than those born earlier, though they still face a higher risk of problems than babies who are born later in pregnancy.

Infection -- Certain genital tract infections are associated with preterm delivery. Substances produced by bacteria in the genital tract can weaken the membranes around the amniotic sac and cause it to rupture early. Even when the membranes remain intact, bacteria can cause infection and inflammation in the uterus, which may trigger a chain of events that leads to preterm labor. You may have been checked for chlamydia and gonorrhea at your first prenatal visit. If you'd tested positive for either of these sexually transmitted infections , you and your partner should have been treated immediately, checked again after treatment, and told to use condoms for the rest of the pregnancy.

If you've had a previous preterm birth, you may also have been screened for bacterial vaginosis BV. Although some studies show that treating bacterial vaginosis BV in the second and third trimester reduces the risk of preterm labor in women with a history of preterm birth, other research has found that it makes no difference. So experts don't agree on whether it's worthwhile to test pregnant women who don't have symptoms. If you have symptoms of bacterial vaginosis, you'll be tested and treated with antibiotics, if needed.

You probably won't be tested for trichomoniasis unless you have bothersome symptoms. Certain non-uterine infections, such as a kidney infection, pneumonia, and appendicitis, also raise your risk of preterm birth. You're also at more risk if you have a type of urinary tract infection known as asymptomatic bacteriuria, a condition in which you have bacteria in your urinary tract but have no symptoms. This is one reason that all pregnant women should have their urine tested for bacteria.

There are a number of risk factors, but keep in mind that more than half of spontaneous preterm births occur in pregnancies in which there's no identifiable risk factor. Although it's impossible to say whether you'll give birth prematurely, it may be more likely if you:. There also appears to be an association between high levels of stress, especially chronic stress, and preterm birth.

The theory is that severe stress can lead to the release of hormones that can trigger uterine contractions and preterm labor. This may explain why women who are victims of domestic abuse have a higher risk for spontaneous preterm labor. Those who endure physical violence have an even higher risk, of course, particularly if there's trauma to the abdomen. There are some studies that suggest women who work the night-shift or have extremely physically demanding jobs may have a higher risk of preterm birth.

Two screening tests are available for women who are having symptoms of preterm labor or are otherwise at high risk for it. A negative result is particularly useful because it can put your mind at ease and help you avoid unnecessary interventions and time in the hospital. Studies haven't shown the tests to be useful for women who aren't at high risk and have no symptoms. At your mid-trimester ultrasound around 20 weeks , your sonographer will look at your cervix and measure its length.

A short cervix can be an indicator that you're at higher risk for a preterm delivery. Your doctor may also order a cervical length measurement if your pregnancy is at high risk for cervical insufficiency because of a history of preterm birth, for example, or if you go to the hospital for symptoms of preterm labor.

If the ultrasound shows that your cervix is short, your provider may recommend that you cut back on physical activity and work, abstain from sex, and stop smoking if you haven't already.