The following statistics regarding premature birth are sobering, to say the least.

• Currently the number of premature births in the United States is over 540,000 per year.
• The United States’ infant mortality rate exceeds that of China, New Zealand, Canada, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, Australia, and Singapore.
• It’s estimated that simply by cutting the preterm birth rate in the US in half, to match Sweden’s, would save approximately 8,000 babies.
• Even though preemies in the US are more likely to survive than anywhere else, they are still more likely to die than full-term infants.
• Just under half of premature babies grow up with some form of neurological or developmental disorder.
• Premature infants can develop lifelong health issues such as cerebral palsy, blindness, hearing loss and learning disabilities.
• Despite the increase in medical advances in the US, the amount of premature births has increased 36% in the last 25 years.
• It is the group of “late preterm” births, which occur after 34-37 weeks of pregnancy, that are the fastest growing subgroup of premature births.

The increase in premature birth in the US is attributed to many causes. The smallest, most fragile babies are most common among poor women who lack prenatal health care and social support. As I have noted in other posts, Early inductions and cesareans are also to blame, according to experts. The complications of prematurity can be minimized by avoiding delivery before 39 weeks without a medical reason. Here are what I would consider the  10 most important things a pregnant woman can do to avoid a premature birth:

1. Get proper prenatal care throughout your pregnancy.
2. Don’t smoke, drink or take drugs while pregnant.
3. Avoid violent or abusive situations.
4. Lower stress levels. Only take on as much as you are capable of, avoid extremely stressful situations and practice stress-relief exercises as needed.
5. Avoid early elective inductions and cesareans. These might be used in emergency situations for the better of mom and baby, but elective cesareans and inductions should not be undertaken before 39 weeks of pregnancy.
6. Eat a well-balanced, nutritious diet, including fish or fish oil and folic acid.
7. Exercise regularly.
8. Avoid exposure to environmental toxins like car exhaust, pesticides and phthalates.
9. Avoid working situations where you need to stand for long periods of time.

To learn more about premature labor, click here.

KeepEmCookin.com is another resource that I would strongly recommend for patients at risk for preterm labor

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This Article was Adapted from PregnancyWeekly.com