Premature births are more likely if the previous child was also premature

Having the experience of giving birth to premature babies certainly provides physical and emotional challenges for mothers. So, it's only natural if you wonder and worry when planning your next pregnancy, whether to repeat the same thing later or not. In fact, mothers who have a history of giving birth to premature babies are at risk of experiencing another premature birth. So, what causes it and can it be prevented? The following is the full explanation.

What is premature birth?

Premature babies are babies born before 37 weeks of gestation or more than 3 weeks before the due date (HPL). This can be caused by problems with the mother's health, for example diabetes, heart disease and kidney disease. However, the main cause of preterm labor is still not known with certainty.

Some pregnancy problems can also increase the risk of preterm labor, including:

Cervical incompetence (weak cervix)
Cervix is too short (less than 25 millimeters)
Infection, whether it's a urinary tract infection or an infection of the amniotic membrane
Poor nutrition before or during pregnancy
Preeclampsia
Placenta previa
Premature rupture of membranes (PROM)
Mother's age, either too young or too old
Pregnancy spacing is too short
Previous history of preterm labor

So, what causes repeated preterm birth?

A history of preterm labor is one of the biggest risk factors for giving birth to other preterm babies. Yes, it is true that mothers may experience preterm labor in subsequent pregnancies.

Reporting from the Very Well page, mothers who have once given birth prematurely have a 15 percent risk of giving birth to another premature baby. Meanwhile, mothers who had two premature babies had a 40 percent risk of having another premature baby. This figure will continue to grow in line with the large number of preterm deliveries that have passed.

As previously explained, preterm labor can be caused by various things, either due to medical problems or the physical condition of the mother. Of course there are causes that can be prevented and not. Examples of preventable and treatable causes include infection problems, weak cervix, preeclampsia, and placenta previa. If these health problems are not immediately treated completely, this can provide an opportunity for preterm labor in future pregnancies.

Can repeat preterm births be prevented?

Unfortunately, medical science has not found a way that is 100 percent able to prevent preterm labor. But don't despair just yet, a number of studies have found ways to detect and prevent the possibility of preterm labor. So, you still have the opportunity to give birth normally and have a perfect, healthy baby.

Here are some things that can be done to detect and prevent the possibility of the next preterm labor:

Pregnancy detection. Recent discoveries in the form of cervical ultrasound have contributed greatly in detecting the early signs of preterm labor. This procedure can be done from as early as 16 weeks of gestation. In addition, it also needs to be supported by examining the mother's blood and vaginal fluids to provide a more accurate prediction.
Progesterone hormone injection. Weekly injections of the hormone progesterone can help prevent preterm birth in women with a history of one preterm birth. The injections usually start between the 16th and 20th week of gestation, then continue for up to 37 weeks.
Prevention with cerclage. Cerclage is a suture procedure to close the cervix of your uterus so that the baby is not born too early. Studies show that this procedure is useful for preventing preterm birth in women who have a history of one-time preterm birth.
Adequate rest and medication. Healthy pregnant women are definitely advised to get adequate rest and avoid fatigue. Well, the same is the case for mothers who want to reduce the risk of repeated preterm births. However, further research is still needed to find out how much impact it will have on preventing preterm birth.

Immediately consult a doctor for the best advice to reduce the risk and prevent recurrent preterm birth.