JUNIPER PUBLISHERS- JOURNAL OF GYNECOLOGY AND WOMEN’S HEALTH Journal of Gynecology and Women’s Health-Juniper Publishers Authored by Martijn A Oudijk* Introduction Preterm birth, defined as birth before 37 weeks gestation, is a major contributor to perinatal morbidity and mortality. It occurs in 12,000 pregnancies in the Netherlands per year. Of all perinatal mortality, 50-70% can be attributed to preterm birth. Preterm birth can be iatrogenic due to the condition of the mother or the child, but the majority occurs spontaneously, either starting with preterm rupture of membranes (PROM) or with spontaneous contractions [ 1 - 3 ]. As such, spontaneous preterm birth is the leading cause of perinatal mortality and neonatal morbidity, mostly due to respiratory immaturity, intracranial hemorrhage and infections. These conditions can...
