If you’ve been told that premature birth will happen or you know there’s a risk, you’ll want to know more about what it means. And can it be prevented? This episode will answer some instinctive questions from parents.

Firstly, what is a premature baby?

A premature baby is any child born before full term—that’s 37 weeks of pregnancy. About one in 13 babies born in the UK each year is premature. You’ll also hear them called extremely, very, or moderate to late preterm, depending on how many weeks early they arrived.

Babies born before 28 weeks are called extremely preterm.

Those born between 28 and 32 weeks are very preterm.

From there, any baby born between 32 and 37 weeks is called moderate to late preterm. These classifications are important because they come with different concerns. Your baby’s healthcare team will want to provide treatment specific to their stage of development.

How will being premature affect my baby?

The answer to this question is very case-dependent. In general, the more premature a baby, the more likely they are to have breathing, developmental, and other problems, including disabilities.

Premature babies are usually quite small. Your newborn will probably need extra care in the neonatal unit straight after birth and could be there for days, weeks, or months. During labour, you may be given medication to reduce or prevent long-term problems for your baby, and the results of this vary.

Will my baby survive premature birth?

Your baby’s chances of survival are affected by their gestational week of birth and the medical resources available where you are. In the UK, about 80% of premature babies born after 26 weeks survive. Conversely, only about three in ten babies born at 22 weeks survive. Babies born before 22 weeks won’t usually be treated because their lungs are considered too underdeveloped. In a terminal situation, the hospital staff will support you while you spend as much time with your baby as you can.

Why does premature birth happen?

Premature birth happens by planned caesarean section for medical reasons or, more often, as a result of premature labour.

Going into premature labour does not always mean your baby will be born prematurely. Sometimes premature labour stops by itself, and there are also things your doctor can do to delay it. However, more often than not, premature birth does follow.

Why does premature labour start?

Premature labour can start artificially, by induction, because a mum and her doctor agree it should do so for the sake of her wellbeing or her baby’s. You may be encouraged to have an induction if you have preeclampsia, high blood pressure, or diabetes, or if your baby has too much or too little amniotic fluid.

In multiple pregnancies, where carrying more than one baby puts increased strain on the body, you are far more likely to go into premature labour. Sixty percent of twins and almost all triplets arrive prematurely.

Most premature labour in single pregnancy starts by itself. We don’t always know why. Some women deliver prematurely without any risk factors. Premature labour is more likely if you smoke or have chronic stress in pregnancy, if there are problems with your cervix or placenta, or because of certain infections.

Can I prevent premature labour?

Depending on your medical history, you may be offered treatment—a progesterone vaginal pessary or a cervical stitch—to help prevent premature labour. In the UK, treatment is offered if you’ve previously miscarried before 16 weeks, if there is damage to your cervix, if you've previously given birth before 34 weeks, or if your waters have previously broken before term. However, it is not failsafe.

There are things you can do in pregnancy that reduce your risk of premature labour. A balanced diet and good lifestyle habits, including stress management and avoiding alcohol and smoking, are positive steps. It is very important to attend all your midwife appointments and ensure anyone looking after you has your complete medical history. They should be made aware of a previous preterm birth or any injury you experienced during a previous birth.

No matter the reason for a premature birth, you’ll want to focus on your baby and recovering afterwards. Try to live in the moment, take good care of yourself, and reach out to your doctor with any concerns. Thank you for watching. Please click on the episode below to continue your Unii Journey.

What is premature birth and can I prevent it?

For our Premature Baby Journey, Unii looks at what premature birth means.