Infections and Other Risk Factors Linked to Premature Birth, Experts Say
NEW YORK, DEC. 4, 2003 – Common infections of the genital tract account for up to 50 percent of preterm births, especially those that occur before 30 weeks, experts today told a gathering of reporters and editors sponsored by the March of Dimes.
All women who are thinking of having a baby or who are pregnant should discuss testing and treatment for such common vaginal infections as bacterial vaginosis, chlamydia, and gonorrhea, as well as urinary tract infections, with their physicians to help prevent preterm birth, said Ronald S. Gibbs, M.D., Professor and E. Stewart Taylor Chair in Obstetrics and Gynecology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, Colorado. He noted that these infections often do not produce tell-tale symptoms.
Margaret C. Freda, Ed.D., R.N., a Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, New York, noted other major risk factors for preterm birth, which include a woman's past history of preterm delivery, multifetal pregnancy (e.g., twins, triplets), and some uterine or cervical abnormalities. Other possible risk factors include high blood pressure, diabetes, clotting disorders, obesity, or other chronic health problems in the mother, and cigarette smoking, alcohol use, or illicit drug use during pregnancy. Dr. Freda said nurses can help educate women and their partners about risk factors for premature birth as well as about the warning signs and symptoms of preterm labor.
Every year, more than 470,000 infants in the United States are born prematurely. The rate of premature birth has increased 27 percent since 1981.
“Premature birth has become the most common, serious and costly problem facing America's infants,” said Nancy S. Green, M.D., medical director of the March of Dimes.
She also noted that hospital charges for babies born prematurely totaled $13.6 billion in 2001, according to the latest March of Dimes analysis based on data from the 2001 Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. “Having a baby too early can cost up to 60 times more than an uncomplicated birth,” Dr. Green said.
Last January, the March of Dimes launched a five-year, $75 million campaign to educate women to the signs and symptoms of premature birth, and to raise funds to conduct much needed research. The goal of the campaign is to reduce the rate of premature birth by 15 percent by 2007.
The March of Dimes is a national voluntary health agency whose mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects and infant mortality. Founded in 1938, the March of Dimes funds programs of research, community services, education, and advocacy to save babies and in 2003 launched a five-year campaign to address the increasing rate of premature birth. For more information, visit the March of Dimes Web site at marchofdimes.com or its Spanish Web site at nacerano.org.
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