Females born premature at risk of birthing premature babies

According to a study published in the journal, Obstetrics & Gynaecology, women born preterm are prone to birthing premature babies.

Ariane Boivin, lead author of the study said, “Our findings are unequivocal. The simple fact of being born prematurely increases the risk of premature delivery.

Over a period spanning 19 years from 1976 to 1995, researchers studied data from a cohort of 7,405 Canadian women, who were born preterm in comparison with women who were born after the completion of the term.

The study revealed that 13 % of women born before 37 weeks of gestation ended up giving preterm births at least once, while only 9.5 % of women born at term birthed preterm babies.

However in women born before 32 weeks, the figure increased to 14 % in terms of giving preterm births.

“Knowing that being born preterm is a risk factor for expectant mothers, obstetricians could inform their patients of the warning signs of premature labour, so they can be vigilant and respond quickly if contractions occur,” senior author Anne Monique Nuyt from University of Montreal elaborated.