What Causes Prematurity?
There are some known risk factors for premature birth. But even if a woman does everything “right” during pregnancy, she can still have a premature baby.
The known risk factors are:
Although researchers know more than ever before about what leads to preterm delivery, there is still a long way to go in developing treatments to prevent it. The current focus of research includes developing better screening tests to identify women destined to deliver early, and treatments that can be used early on to stop or slow the events leading to prematurity.
What can I expect expect now that my child has been born prematurely?
Visit the My Child Without Limits support community and talk to fellow parents, caregivers, and experts about the challenges facing your child.
Centers for Disease Control
American Academy of Pediatrics
March of Dimes
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)