Preterm Labor

Summary

Preterm labor is labor that starts before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. It can lead to premature birth. Premature babies may face serious health risks.

Symptoms of preterm labor include

• Contractions every 10 minutes or more often
• Leaking fluid or bleeding from the vagina
• Feeling of pressure in the pelvis
• Low, dull backache
• Cramps that feel like menstrual cramps
• Abdominal cramps with or without diarrhea

If you think you might be having preterm labor, contact your health care provider.

NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

Learn More

• Preterm Birth (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Preterm labor (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Preterm labor and premature birth: Are you at risk? (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
• Preterm Labor: What Dad Can Do (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
• Treatments for Preterm Labor (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation) Also in Spanish
• What Are the Risks Factors for Preterm Labor and Birth? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• What Is Preterm Labor and Birth? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish
• What Treatments Can Reduce the Chances of Preterm Labor and Birth? (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development) Also in Spanish

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Obstetric Labor, Premature (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Opioid Use Among HIV-Positive Pregnant Women and the Risk for Maternal-Fetal...
• Article: Lactobacillus crispatus dominant vaginal microbita in pregnancy.
• Article: Term complications and subsequent risk of preterm birth: registry based study.
• Preterm Labor -- see more articles