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Who Will Deliver Early?
It is very difficult to predict which women will deliver prematurely. Doctors know that certain women are at high risk of premature delivery, including women who have had a previous premature birth, those with multiple gestations (twins, triplets or more), and women with certain uterine or cervical abnormalities. But tests are not accurate in determining which of these women will actually deliver early. Available tests are even less helpful in identifying low-risk women who will have a premature delivery, and are generally not recommended for these women. Tests, such as cervical length measurements and fetal fibronectin, are most useful in determining which high-risk women or women having contractions are unlikely to deliver within the next two weeks. These tests can relieve worries and spare women unnecessary treatments. Researchers continue to develop new tests for identifying women who will deliver prematurely. Many of the new tests measure biological markers associated with the various routes that lead to premature delivery, such as the stress-related hormone CRH or various immune and clotting factors. To date, tests that measure only one of these biological markers have not proven successful, but tests that measure a number of markers are showing some promise. May 2007 |
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| © 2008 March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation. All rights reserved. The March of Dimes is a not-for-profit organization recognized as tax-exempt under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). Our mission is to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth, and infant mortality. | ||
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