The Problem
Every parent-to-be hopes for healthy children and the opportunity to watch their children grow and develop.
Birth prior to 37 weeks of gestation is a major medical risk that affects child development. Preterm birth occurs in almost 1 in 10 pregnancies. It is assocaited with low birth weight, long-term disability, and greater risk of infant death.
Medical sciences cannot accurately predict why some pregnancies last the full nine months while other pregnancies are prone to early onset of labour and delivery. When babies are born early, this leaves many questions to address:
“Why did this happen?”
“How will my baby be affected by being born early?”
“Will this happen again with my next baby?”
Fetal development continues while the maternal body
adapts and accommodates the growing fetus. Complex signalling pathways, which are only partially understood, determine when labour begins and the speed of delivery. Events that upset this balance may trigger early delivery. The problem facing expectant mothers and their healthcare providers is to predict who is at risk of these events and to find ways to prevent preterm births and provide the best start for all newborns.