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:
Some things that may raise the risk are:
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:
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Accessed July 30, 2020.
Last reviewed March 2020 by
EBSCO Medical Review Board
Beverly Siegal, MD, FACOG
Last Updated: 2/26/2021