If you're expecting a baby, you want to do everything you can to ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery. While some risk factors for
preterm birth
are out of your control, there are lifestyle changes you can make to reduce your risk. Quitting smoking, avoiding second-hand smoke, and not drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while pregnant are all important steps. Eating a balanced diet and taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid can also help reduce the risk of premature labor.Folic acid is essential for brain and central nervous system development in babies, and may help prevent spina bifida.It may also reduce the risk of other pregnancy complications, such as placental abruption and preeclampsia. If you have or think you have an infection, talk to your doctor about treating it. If you're prone to certain infections, talk to your doctor about ways you can prevent future infections.A new study found no relationship between weight gain and the risk of repeating preterm delivery. Even if you are a carrier of the HIV virus, the right treatment can greatly reduce your chances of transmitting it to your baby.
Using recreational drugs during pregnancy can harm the baby and increase the risk of preterm birth, so get help to stop now.It may sound strange, but scientists have found a link between tooth decay, gum disease and premature birth, suggesting that gum inflammation and infection may be associated with preterm birth. Reducing or quitting smoking is one of the most positive steps you can take to reduce the risk of your baby being born prematurely.The results of a large trial showed that supplementing with omega-3 fatty acids during pregnancy reduced the risk of having a premature baby. While there are some modifiable risk factors for preterm birth, such as smoking, drinking, and illicit drug use, it is a priority to better understand how women and their doctors can work together to reduce the risk.Reporting biases may underestimate or overestimate the effects of omega-3s on prematurity and other adverse birth outcomes, and further work is needed to address the concern that supplementation late in pregnancy may prolong pregnancy beyond term. By making lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, avoiding second-hand smoke, not drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs while pregnant, eating a balanced diet, taking prenatal vitamins with folic acid, and reducing or quitting smoking, expectant mothers can reduce their risk of premature labor.
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