Premature or preterm labour is defined as one where the labour starts before the 37th completed week(Greater than or equal 259 days), counting from the 1st day of the last menstrual period.
Risk Factor of preterm labour
History:
- Previous history of preterm delivery.
- Recurrent UTI
- Smoking habit
Complication: (Maternal and fatal)
- Pre-eclampsia
- Genital tract infaction
- Prom
- Uterine malformation
- Medical and surgical illness
Complication of placenta:
- Infarction
- Thrombosis
- Diarrhoea
- DM
- Anaemia
Complication of preterm labour
Fetal:
- LBW
- Birth asphyxia
- Hypothermia
- Pulmonary edema
- Fetal shock
- Neonatal jaundice
- Anaemia
- Oliguria and anuria
Maternal complication;
- Increased maternal morbidity
- Psychological upset of the mother
Management of preterm labour
- 1st stage of labour:
- Complete bed rest
- O2 inhalation to the mother
- Avoidance of strong sedatives
- Labour should be watched by intensive clinical monitoring
- Delivery by c/s
- 2nd stage of labour:
- The birth should be gentle
- Avoid rapid compression
- Episiotomy may be done
- The cord is to be clamped immediately to prevent hypervolaemia
3. Effective neonatal care just after delivery