The causes of the premature birth of a child are many, but in many cases, it is not possible to find out the causes. Premature birth refers to taking birth earlier than usual. It accompanies some difficulties, but the reasons for premature birth are unknown in many cases. In most cases, premature births happen naturally. Some mothers intentionally choose premature birth because of the health conditions of the mother and the baby, while the doctors may advise a c-section or an induction for the premature birth.
Causes at a Glance
At a glance, the causes of the premature birth of child are having pregnancy history of the pregnant like if she had premature birth before, having previous Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes (PPROM), having a late miscarriage before, having cervical weakness, becoming pregnant less than 6 months after your last pregnancy, having placenta praevia, polyhydramnios or too much amniotic fluid, uterine abnormalities, bleeding after 24 weeks, problem with your cervix or cervical incompetence, carrying more than one baby, gestational diabetes, type 1 and type 2 diabetes in pregnancy, Antiphospholipid Syndrome (APS), pre-eclampsia, waters breaking early, Fetal Growth Restriction (FGR), Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP), having an infection like intrauterine infection, urinary tract infections, placental abruption, being aged below 18 or over the age of 40, race, being underweight or overweight in pregnancy, psychological and social stress, being unable to manage mental health before, during, and after pregnancy, and lifestyle choices like alcohol or smoking or vaping or taking illegal recreational drugs in pregnancy that affect your risks of premature birth.
Pregnancy History May Have Causes
If you have given birth early before, or if you have experienced premature birth before, there are more probabilities or chances that you will again give birth early or experience premature birth. If you had previous Preterm Premature Rupture of the Membranes (PPROM), a late miscarriage before, or cervical weakness, then these are the causes that will lead you to the premature birth of your child.
Low Levels of PAPP-A
Another cause of the premature birth of a child is low levels of Pregnancy Associated Plasma Protein-A (PAPP-A). The placenta makes this hormone in pregnancy. Because of the low levels of PAPP-A, the placenta or the pregnancy organ may not work well. As a result, the baby cannot grow well, and the movement of the baby is changed, slowed down, or stopped.
Placenta Praevia
If the placenta is less than 20 mm of the cervix, then it is the condition of a low-lying placenta when the cervix is covered by the placenta. That means you have placenta praevia. In this case, it is a major cause of the premature birth of your child especially for surrogate mothers (maternidad subrogada).
Polyhydramnios or Too Much Amniotic Fluid
Polyhydramnios or too much amniotic fluid surrounds the baby in the womb during pregnancy that increases the risks of the premature birth of your child. The causes behind polyhydramnios or too much amniotic fluid are being pregnant with more than one baby, diabetes or gestational diabetes, a blockage in the guts of the baby called gut atresia, infection during pregnancy, and genetic condition of the baby etcetera.
For some people, giving premature birth to their child may be very risky. The reasons for being so are their pregnancy history, their current pregnancy progress, their age, and their race. The researchers in the field of medical science are yet to conduct a lot of research about the causes of the premature birth of a child, and so they cannot tell surely about all the causes of the premature birth of a child.