Premature delivery

Preterm labor is one that occurs before the 37th week of pregnancy, when a pregnancy is considered to have reached term. Most preterm births occur spontaneously when regular uterine contractions cause the cervix to open early.

When a baby is born prematurely, its development generally occurs at a different rate than a full-term baby. That is why growth milestones should not be evaluated taking into account their chronological age but rather their corrected age, even up to two years due to the process that takes place during that period of time.

Every year 15 million premature babies are born in the world and each year there are more births before their time than the previous one. Among the causes of prematurity, maternal conditions or complications in pregnancy are usually pointed out, but environmental factors also have a great influence on gestational health.

Amniotic fluid is the fluid that surrounds the baby within the uterus during pregnancy, and is contained within the amniotic sac or sac. It is a vital element for its development, since it protects it from injury, heat loss and contains the essential nutrients it needs for its proper growth.

The integrity of the membranes that surround the baby in the uterus during pregnancy is vital for its normal development. But they can be damaged by different causes: after an infection, a hemorrhage or after a fetal surgery and even after performing prenatal tests, such as amniocentesis, which requires doctors to make a hole with a needle in the amniotic sac.

It is normal for pregnant women to feel confused about the news that we are learning about Covid, since they are often contradictory. A few days ago we commented on the results of a large reassuring study that ensured that Covid-19 infection in pregnancy does not cause more premature births and now we know a new one, also quite broad, which assures the opposite: that pregnant women with Covid have greater risk of having a premature birth.

When the pandemic broke out in March last year, pregnant women about to give birth were especially concerned about their deliveries. How would the Covid pandemic affect deliveries? What would the new protocols look like?

Oral diseases are very common during pregnancy, although they are also the great unknown in terms of typical discomforts. Not surprisingly, according to the 2020 Oral Health Study presented by Sanitas, five out of ten pregnant women have gum problems, and more than 85% affirm that their oral health has been affected by pregnancy.