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What is preterm prelabor rupture of membranes? — The medical term for when a pregnant person's water breaks is "rupture of membranes." Prelabor rupture of membranes is when your water breaks before you go into labor. Doctors and midwives call prelabor rupture of membranes "PROM" for short. "Preterm" PROM is when this happens when a person has been pregnant for fewer than 37 weeks.
Preterm PROM is a problem because labor often begins soon after it happens. Babies who are born before 37 weeks of pregnancy can have serious health problems.
PROM can also lead to problems for the mother. For example, it can lead to an infection in the uterus.
What causes preterm PROM? — Doctors aren't sure why preterm PROM happens in some people and not others. But preterm PROM is more likely to happen in people who:
●Had preterm PROM before
●Had preterm labor and delivery before
●Have an infection in the vagina or uterus
●Have bleeding from the vagina
●Smoke
What are the symptoms of preterm PROM? — When your water breaks, it can feel like a sudden gush or a slow trickle of fluid from the vagina. The fluid is usually clear or pale yellow and sometimes looks like urine.
Is there a test for preterm PROM? — Yes. Your doctor, nurse, or midwife will use a speculum to examine your cervix. They will look to see if amniotic fluid is leaking from your cervix. They might also take a sample of the fluid in your vagina and test it to make sure the fluid is amniotic fluid.
Your doctor or midwife might also do an ultrasound exam to check the amount of amniotic fluid around your baby. An ultrasound is an imaging test that uses sound waves to create pictures of your baby in your uterus.
How is preterm PROM treated? — Almost everyone with preterm PROM needs to stay in the hospital until their baby is born. That's so their doctor or midwife can follow their pregnancy closely.
In many cases, labor starts within 1 week of preterm PROM.
If your labor doesn't start on its own, your doctor or midwife might give you medicine to help start it. This is called inducing labor. Your doctor or midwife is more likely to induce labor if:
●You are 34 or more weeks pregnant
●You are fewer than 34 weeks pregnant, but there is a problem with your pregnancy or your baby's health. The most common problem that might happen is an infection in the uterus.
If your doctor or midwife doesn't deliver your baby right away, they might treat you with medicines, including:
●Medicines called "steroids" to help your baby breathe better when they are born
●Antibiotics to prevent an infection
Will my baby be OK? — That depends on many factors, such as how early your baby is born, how developed their lungs are, and whether they have an infection. Babies who are born very early are more likely to have health problems.
Patient education: Preterm labor (The Basics)
Patient education: Labor and delivery (childbirth) (The Basics)
Patient education: How to tell when labor starts (The Basics)
Patient education: Preterm labor (Beyond the Basics)
Patient education: When a baby is born premature (The Basics)