Pre-term birth: sometimes life starts earlier than expected
Premature contractions and the risk of pre-term birth cause of lot of anxiety in parents-to-be. Find out here what you should pay attention to and which support options are available.
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Short and simple
Some babies are born too early.
This is known as pre-term birth.
There are many different reasons for this.
Sometimes medicine is given to the pregnant mother.
This helps the baby to mature in the mother’s womb.
There are advice centres that parents can contact.
What is the definition of a pre-term birth?
Why are babies born too early?
There are many different reasons for this. The causes of premature delivery may be related to the mother or the child. In many cases, multiple factors are involved. The most common risk factors are:
- Pregnancy with two or more babies (multiple pregnancy)
- Certain medical conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes (elevated blood sugar), kidney disease or thyroid disorders
- Infections of the birth canal
- Diseases of the uterus
- Placental insufficiency
- Cervix weakness
- Short cervix
- Mother aged under 18 or over 35
- Previous pre-term delivery, miscarriage or abortion
- High stress levels
- Excessive nicotine, alcohol or drug consumption
Are there early signs of premature labour or a pre-term birth?
Three typical symptoms are potential signs of premature labour. You should seek medical help immediately if they occur.
- Premature contractions: If you have regular contractions lasting longer than an hour, you should contact your midwife or doctor immediately and go to the nearest hospital. Contractions are deemed to be regular if they occur every five to ten minutes and last for at least 30 seconds,
- Leakage of amniotic fluid/rupture of the amniotic sac (waters breaking): If your waters break earlier than expected, this is also an indication that the birth is beginning.
- Bleeding: If you have bleeding during the pregnancy, you should contact a doctor immediately. Bleeding can also be a sign that the birth is imminent.
How can pre-term delivery be prevented?
Leading a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy reduces the risk of pre-term birth. Avoid all drugs, alcohol and nicotine, eat a healthy diet and get a moderate amount of exercise. Try to relax as much as possible and avoid stress.
Regular check-ups with your midwife and gynaecologist are also crucial. The earlier a complication is discovered during the pregnancy, the higher the likelihood that pre-term delivery can be delayed. In some cases, however, the birth may begin too early despite regular check-ups and a healthy lifestyle.
How is an impending pre-term birth treated?
If signs of pre-term delivery occur, doctors will discuss what to do next with the mother-to-be. Depending on the situation, it may make sense to delay the birth. This can be done with medications that suppress labour (tocolytics), for example.
If the birth is expected to occur at a particularly early stage, it is also possible to administer a corticosteroid injection to the mother in order to speed up the development of the baby’s lungs. Also known as a lung maturation injection, this has the added benefit of reducing the likelihood of bleeding in the baby’s brain.
Which complications can occur in premature babies?
Many premature babies are not yet fully developed, which can result in various complications:
- Many premature babies are not yet fully developed, which can result in various complications: Temporary cessation of breathing (apnoea): The central nervous system (CNS) often is not fully mature either, which can cause temporary cessation of breathing (apnoea) during sleep.
- Nutritional problems: Premature babies can also develop nutritional and digestive problems because their gastrointestinal tract is not fully developed.
- Ernährungsprobleme: Ein unvollständig entwickelter Magen-Darm-Trakt kann zu Ernährungs- und Verdauungskomplikationen führen.
- Temperature regulation: Some babies born early have to spend time in an incubator to help them with regulating their temperature.
- Newborn jaundice: The probability of newborn jaundice is also higher in premature babies.
How do premature babies develop?
Thanks to medical progress, premature babies have much better chances of survival and healthy development than they did in the past. If the baby is born after the 27th week of pregnancy in particular, their chances of survival and developing normally are very high. Nevertheless, complications such as developmental delays and learning difficulties are more frequent in premature babies than in children born after the 37th week of pregnancy. The prognosis depends on the following factors, among others:
- Duration of the pregnancy
- Whether the mother received a corticosteroid injection before the birth
- The baby’s birth weight
- Complications suffered by the baby after the birth (e.g. infections, brain haemorrhage, heart problems)
Where can parents of a premature baby get support?
Useful contacts for advice
- Premature Babies & Neonatal Care Switzerland: The organisation Premature Babies & Neonatal Care Switzerland provides easy-to-understand information and offers a wealth of useful tips. Parents and relatives of sick premature babies can also join the peer pool in order to provide one another with mutual support.
- kindsverlust.ch competence centre (available in German): The competence centre kindsverlust.ch gives advice by telephone or e-mail for people who have lost a premature baby.
- Regenbogen Schweiz association (available in German and French): The Regenbogen Schweiz association is a self-help organisation for parents who are mourning a lost child.
The CONCORDIA mental health check can offer guidance on coping with the mental burden.
