How to prevent premature birth? 5 things expectant mothers should do

Premature babies are weaker than normal babies. Therefore, expectant mothers need to prevent premature birth. So, how to prevent premature birth?

How to prevent premature birth

1. Avoid fatigue and external stimulation

Avoid excessive fatigue during pregnancy and reduce labor intensity; it is best not to travel long distances in the late pregnancy to avoid bumpy and tiring journeys; do not go to crowded places to avoid hitting your abdomen; when walking, especially when going up and down stairs, be sure to take steady steps one by one; do not stand or squat for a long time; sexual intercourse is prohibited in the late pregnancy.

2. Pay attention to personal hygiene during pregnancy

During pregnancy, the vaginal environment changes, the mother's immunity decreases, vaginal secretions increase, and the chance of bacterial infection increases. Therefore, you should pay attention to personal hygiene and not give bacteria a chance. If you find vulvar itching, leucorrhea odor or abnormal conditions, you must go to the hospital for examination in time.

3. Pay attention to oral health

Pay attention to oral health during pregnancy: A common oral disease among women of childbearing age is periodontal disease. Oral anaerobic infection of periodontal disease is one of the risk factors for miscarriage and premature birth, so oral diseases should be treated before pregnancy.

4. Those with loose cervix should undergo surgery promptly

If you have cervical changes but no contractions before 24 weeks of pregnancy, your doctor may recommend a cervical cerclage. During this procedure, your doctor places a strong stitch around your cervix to strengthen it and help it stay closed. Cervical cerclage may be helpful for women who have had three or more unexplained miscarriages or premature births during the second trimester.

5. If you have a fever, you must see a doctor immediately

Fever is a symptom of infection. The increase in body temperature may cause uterine contractions, so you must go to the hospital as soon as possible to lower your body temperature. If necessary, the doctor will ask the pregnant woman to take special antipyretic drugs or use antibiotics. If the fetus is suffocated in the womb or the pregnant woman herself is in danger, the doctor may decide to deliver the child early.

Causes of Premature Birth

Causes of Disease

About 30% of premature births have no obvious cause. Common causes include:

Pregnant women

1. Combined with uterine malformation (such as bicornuate uterus, septate uterus), cervical relaxation, and uterine fibroids.

2. Combined acute or chronic diseases, such as viral hepatitis, acute nephritis or pyelonephritis, acute appendicitis, viral pneumonia, high fever, rubella and other acute diseases; heart disease, diabetes, severe anemia, hyperthyroidism, hypertension, asymptomatic bacteriuria and other chronic diseases.

3. Complicated with pregnancy-induced hypertension syndrome.

4. Smoking, drug abuse, alcoholism, and severe malnutrition.

5. Others, such as long-distance travel, climate change, living in plateau areas, family migration, drastic mood swings and other mental and physical burdens; direct impact on the abdomen, trauma, sexual intercourse or surgical operation stimulation, etc.

How many weeks is considered premature?

For pregnant women, if a pregnant woman gives birth to a fetus between 28 weeks and less than 37 weeks of pregnancy, it is called premature birth. If a fetus is born between 37 weeks and less than 42 weeks of pregnancy, it is called full-term birth. Therefore, as long as a pregnant woman gives birth between seven months and nine and a half months, it can be considered a premature birth.

What foods can cause premature birth in late pregnancy?

Hawthorn is sweet and sour and is a favorite of many expectant mothers. However, hawthorn has a certain stimulating effect on the uterus and will promote uterine contraction. If expectant mothers eat a large amount of hawthorn, it may cause miscarriage. For the same reason, it is best not to eat or eat as little hawthorn as possible in the early stages of pregnancy. In traditional Chinese medicine, hawthorn is never used as a medicine even in prescriptions for pregnant women to stimulate their appetite.

In addition, eating papaya and aloe vera may also cause miscarriage. Papaya contains estrogen, which can easily interfere with the hormonal changes in the expectant mother's body, especially green papaya. Expectant mothers should completely quit eating it because it is not only harmful to the stability of the fetus, but may also cause miscarriage.

In the late pregnancy, expectant mothers can eat more vitamin-rich fruits such as kiwi, orange, apple, etc., but should eat less oranges, especially those with hot constitution should avoid them. Eating too much may cause more pigmentation, which is not good for the skin.