Overview

• Primer on Preemies (Nemours Foundation)

Symptoms

• Signs and Symptoms of Preterm Labor and What to Do (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
• Regular contractions of your uterus. At first, contractions seem like a tightening in your abdomen that you can feel with your fingertips.
• Light vaginal spotting or bleeding.
• Menstrual-type or abdominal cramps.
• Low, dull back pain.
• Watery discharge from your vagina. This may be amniotic fluid, the protective liquid that surrounds your baby in the womb. If so, it's a sign that the membranes around your baby have ruptured.
• A feeling of pressure in your pelvis, as if your baby is pressing down.

Diagnosis

• Signs and Symptoms of Preterm Labor and What to Do (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
• Fetal Ultrasound (WebMDHealth)

Treatments

• Medical Equipment at Home (March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation)
• What Is a Neonatologist? (American Academy of Pediatrics)

Research Findings From MedLine

• Artificial Nipples: Do They Affect Breastfeeding in Preemies? (Nemours Foundation)
• Chronic Lung Disease in Infancy May Lead to Continued Problems in Adolescence (Nemours Foundation)
• Cognitive Abilities Increase Significantly with Time in Most Prematurely Born Children (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Dental X-Rays during Pregnancy May Affect Infant Birth Weight (Nemours Foundation)
• Disabilities Common in School-Age Children Born Extremely Prematurely (Nemours Foundation)
• Educational Lag for Premature Infants Persists into Adulthood (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• Even Moderately Premature Birth Poses Risk for Developmental Delays (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• Home Uterine Monitors Not Useful for Predicting Premature Birth (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• Infection Puts Extremely Low Birth Weight Infants at Risk for Developmental Delays (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• Kangaroo Care May Help Reduce Pain in Preemies (Nemours Foundation)
• Long-Term Effects of Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (Nemours Foundation)
• Preemies Show Little Benefit from Routine Morphine Treatment for Pain (Nemours Foundation)
• Preterm Birth Puts Kids at Risk for Behavioral and Emotional Problems during Adolescence (Nemours Foundation)
• Quality of Life in Young Adulthood Is Similar for Those Born Prematurely (Nemours Foundation)
• Research on Preterm Labor and Premature Birth (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development)
• Very Preterm or Extremely Low Birth Weight Babies Display Educational and Behavioral Impairments at School-Age (American Medical Association)

Ogranizations and Patient-Centered Sites

• KidsHealth (Nemours Foundation)
• March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
• National Institute of Child Health and Human Development