Risk Factors for Preterm Labor and Delivery

by Cynthia M. Johnson, MA

En Español (Spanish Version)

A risk factor is something that raises a person's chances of getting a disease or health problem. A woman can have preterm labor with or without the risks below. The more risks a woman has, the greater the chances are.

Preterm labor is more common in women who:

Are Black
Are pregnant with more than 1 baby
Have used assisted reproductive technologies
Are under the age of 16 years old

Some things that may raise the risk are:

Prior premature birth
Problems with the cervix, such as a cervix that is weak or short
Certain infections, such as bacterial vaginosis or chlamydia
Tobacco or alcohol use
Taking certain medicines, such as steroids
Exposure to pollutants
Mental health problems, such as depression or anxiety
Problems with the placenta or uterus, such as too much fluid in the womb
Vaginal bleeding
Birth defects in the fetus

REFERENCES:

American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ Committee on Practice Bulletins—Obstetrics. Practice Bulletin No. 171: Management of Preterm Labor. Obstet Gynecol. 2016 Oct;128(4):e155-64, reaffirmed 2018.

Preterm labor and birth: overview. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development website. Available at: https://www.nichd.nih.gov/health/topics/preterm/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed July 30, 2020.

Preterm labor and birth. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website. Available at: https://www.acog.org/patient-resources/faqs/labor-delivery-and-postpartum-care/preterm-labor-and-birth. Accessed July 30, 2020.

Preterm labor. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: https://www.dynamed.com/condition/preterm-labor. Accessed July 30, 2020.

Who is at risk for preterm labor and birth? National Institute of Child Health & Human Development website. Available at:
...(Click grey area to select URL)
Accessed July 30, 2020.

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Last reviewed March 2020 by EBSCO Medical Review Board Beverly Siegal, MD, FACOG
Last Updated: 2/26/2021

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