Premature births — all labors which came in terms before 37 full weeks of a gestation or less than in 259 days after the first day of the last menstrual cycle (definition of WHO). Premature births can be divided into several categories depending on gestation terms: extremely premature (less than 28 weeks), considerably premature (28 — less than 32 weeks) and moderately premature birth (32 — less than 37 full weeks of a gestation). In the last category, it is also possible to allocate slightly premature birth (34 — less than 37 full weeks of a gestation).
Premature births are the syndrome arising for many reasons. Depending on the reason, there are two main a subtypes of premature births:
- spontaneous, premature, labors (the spontaneous beginning of pains, or labors after a premature rupture of fetal covers)
- premature births caused artificially, determined as induction of labors, or purpose of Cesarean section (both “urgent”, and “planned”) before the efflux of 37 full weeks of a gestation on medical indications from mothers side or on not medical indications.