A WrlLLen 8eporL on

reLerm Labor


ln arLlal lulflllmenL of Lhe 8equlremenLs ln nCM8LL

u8 8oLaLlon




SubmlLLed Lo
Ms 1rlna uomanals 8n Mn


SubmlLLed by
8hlesa Marle S CaneLa





8Sn2C Croup 4


AugusL 2 2011











reterm |abor ls deflned as uLerlne conLracLlons occurrlng afLer 28 weeks of gesLaLlon and
before 37 compleLed weeks of gesLaLlon

k|sk factors
red|spos|ng Iactors
O mulLlple gesLaLlon
O hlsLory of prevlous preLerm labor of dellvery
O abdomlnal surgery durlng currenL pregnancy
O uLerlne anomaly
O hlsLory of cone blopsy
O maLernal age younger Lhan 20 or older Lhan age 33


rec|p|tat|ng Iactors
O lnfecLlon lnfecLlons llke chlamydla Lrlchomonlasls and bacLerlal vaglnosls can
weaken Lhe membranes LhaL surround your amnloLlc sac 1hls could lead Lo
premaLure rupLure of Lhe membranes and preLerm labor
O lacenLal roblems lacenLal compllcaLlons llke placenLa prevla and placenLal
abrupLlon may Lrlgger preLerm labor
O Abnormal uLerus SLrucLural problems wlLh your uLerus could also Lrlgger preLerm
labor A parLlcularly large uLerus (common wlLh mulLlple blrLhs) or a shorL cervlx (less
Lhan 23 mllllmeLers) can lead Lo early labor
O Chronlc lllness lllnesses such as slckle cell dlsease lupus and dlabeLes can Lrlgger
early labor
O 1rauma ln[ury Lo Lhe abdomen or uLerus can also be a conLrlbuLlng facLor ln some
cases of preLerm labor

|gns and mptoms of reterm Labor
O ConLracLlons a LlghLenlng sensaLlon ln Lhe abdomen slmllar Lo mensLrual cramplng
LhaL occur elghL or more Llmes each hour
O Low dull backache
O A sensaLlon of pelvlc pressure
O ularrhea
O Iaglnal spoLLlng or bleedlng
O WaLery vaglnal dlscharge
O An lncrease ln vaglnal dlscharge

|agnost|c test

O ulLrasound
O nonsLress or sLress LesL
O AmnlocenLesls
O Sonography
,ed|ca| ,anagement

O MedlcaLlons Lo sLop labor (Magneslum sulfaLe breLhlne LerbuLallne eLc)
O MedlcaLlon Lo help prevenL lnfecLlon (More llkely lf your membranes have rupLured or lf
Lhe conLracLlons are caused by lnfecLlon)
O MedlcaLlons Lo help your babys lung develop more qulckly (usually lf preLerm blrLh ln
lnevlLable)

-rs|ng Care

1 rovlde adequaLe resL and sleep oslLlon moLher ln a lefL sldelylng
2 Avold sLrenuous acLlvlLles such as llfLlng heavy ob[ecLs
3 rovlde good hydraLlon (oral or lI)
4 ueLermlne frequency duraLlon and lnLenslLy of uLerlne conLracLlons
3 AdmlnlsLer medlcaLlons as ordered
6 repare cllenL for any posslble dlagnosLlc LesL
7 MonlLor vlLal slgns of Lhe moLher
8 MonlLor feLal hearL Lone
9 rovlde cllenL and famlly educaLlon
10rovlde physlcal and emoLlonal supporL

-rs|ng |agnos|s

1 knowledge ueflclL regardlng preLerm labor r/L unfamlllarlLy wlLh lndlvldual rlsk
O rovlde lnformaLlon regardlng rlsk slLuaLlon lncludlng clear slmple explanaLlons of
paLhophyslologlcal changes and maLernal and feLal lmpllcaLlons
O rovlde approprlaLe lnformaLlon relaLed Lo screenlng and LesLlng meLhods and
procedures
O ldenLlfy danger slgnals requlrlng lmmedlaLe noLlflcaLlons of healLh care provlder ex
preLerm laborvaglnal bleedlng
O ueflne labor and revlew posslble sympLoms of preLerm labor
O uescrlbe poLenLlal lmpllcaLlons of premaLure blrLh


2 8lsk for acLlvlLy lnLolerance r/L uLerlne lrrlLablllLy
O Lncourage cllenL Lo pace acLlvlLles and allow sufflclenL resL
O Lncourage adequaLe resL and use of laLeral poslLlon
O lnsLrucL cllenL Lo avold heavy llfLlng and sLrenuous acLlvlLles
O lnsLrucL cllenL Lo modlfy or ellmlnaLe of any Lype of sexual acLlvlLles ln Lhe presence of
sympLoms of preLerm labor cervlcal changes or bleedlng
O 8ecommend avoldlng Lravel and alLlLude changes ln Lhe 3
rd
LrlmesLer

3 8lsk for feLal ln[ury r/L MaLernal healLh problem maLernal age
O noLe maLernal condlLlons LhaL affecL feLal clrculaLlon
O noLe esLlmaLed daLe of blrLh
O Assess lP1 noLlng raLe and regularlLy
O Assess for preLerm uLerlne conLracLlons whlch may or may noL be accompanled by
cervlcal dllaLaLlon
O ulscuss poLenLlal negaLlve effecLs of ldenLlfled condlLlon on feLus and revlew opLlons
avallable Lo cllenL