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Pregnancy Week To Week Pregnancy Symptoms Giving Birth C Sections NewBorn |
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Premature Rupture Of Membranes (PROM)When chorionic membranes burst before the actual contractions of labor are started, it is called premature rupture of membranes. Chorionic membranes can be thought of as "bag of waters”. Premature rupture of membranes can happen maybe in hours, weeks or months before the labor. It is still a mystery why in some cases membranes rupture spontaneously and in the other they don’t rupture even during labor and have to be broken unnaturally. Most commonly believed reason is that, an enzyme called collagenase which is produced by certain bacteria reduces the elasticity and strength of the membranes around the fetus which results in premature rupture. Leaking of fluid from the vagina is the most visible symptom of premature rupture of membranes. The flow of the fluid is found to be heavier when the woman is lying down. On a detailed examination of the fluid a practitioner can confirm that the fluid is alkaline unlike urine which is acidic in nature and it comes from the cervix. If the membranes rupture prematurely in a pregnant woman, she should be closely monitored for any possible infections and signs of contractions. During this time, the baby’s condition also should be evaluated. For this to be possible, it is highly recommended that the mother is admitted to the hospital for bed rest. Check her white blood count and temperature occasionally, so that in case of an infection, the doctor can take action immediately, leading to premature delivery. Infection can be checked by doing a culture from the cervix .Sometimes, antibiotics will be given intravenously so that infections can be prevented. Usually this is done even before the results of the culture and confirming the infection as amniotic sac is open now and baby is at high risk of getting an infection. Medications can be given to stop contractions in case they start and the fetus is still not developed fully. As long as both mother and baby are in good health, contractions can be stopped continuously in this manner. This can be stopped once the doctors feel the baby is mature enough for a safe delivery. If at any point of time, life of the mother or baby is at stake, delivery will be carried out immediately. Rupture of the membranes rarely gets healed by its own. If this happens, leakage of the amniotic fluid will be ceased and so the mother can go back to home. While at home she can continue with her normal routine but have to be careful for any signs of further leakage. If you happen to experience premature rupture of membranes, most doctors will recommend delaying delivery until 33rd or 34th week and will induce labor when it reaches. Some other doctors will prefer to have the delivery after completing 37 weeks. When 37 weeks are passed, an amniocentesis will be performed to check the amniotic fluid in the vagina in order to determine the maturity of the baby’s lungs and decide whether or not to induce labor. If premature rupture of membranes occurs at 57 weeks the doctors will prefer to induce labor as at this stage, the fetus has a very less risk of infection. Although the baby is still premature at this stage, both mother and baby should be fine if they are provided with good care. But, there is a chance of the picture to get complicated due to the long stay in the NICU and other problems as it’s a premature birth. Pregnancy Week To Week 1- 40
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