Premature rupture of membranes is an undesirable event during pregnancy. Premature rupture of membranes makes mothers worried by its negative effect on the fetus.
Before the baby is born, the amniotic sac will rupture, causing the amniotic fluid to overflow or sometimes leak out slowly. We call the rupture of the amniotic sac before a woman goes into labor the rupture of the premature amniotic fluid. Premature rupture of membranes can occur at any time during pregnancy. When the phenomenon of premature rupture of membranes occurs before 37 weeks of pregnancy, pregnant mothers are very easy to deliver preterm labor.
Premature rupture of membranes often happens suddenly and its cause is often difficult to determine. Common causes of this condition include:
Infection of the uterus, one of the most common causes of premature rupture of membranes;
The uterus and amniotic sac are too stretchy. Multiple pregnancy or multiple amniotic fluid are common causes of this stretch;
Injury like a traffic accident.
Preterm labor usually begins soon after premature rupture of membranes occurs. Sometimes, when the amniotic fluid is draining slowly and there is no sign of infection, the uterine contractions will not appear for a few days. Occasionally the leakage in the amniotic sac can repair itself and the pregnancy does not have to be premature. In rare cases, pregnancy is still developing normally if premature rupture of amniotic fluid occurs during the second trimester.
Treatment for premature rupture of membranes includes the use of drugs such as corticosteroids to stimulate the fetal lung growth at 34 weeks or earlier.
Other treatment measures when pregnant women have premature rupture of membranes include:
The method of waiting in observation;
Using antibiotics to treat or prevent infection of amniotic fluid;
Amniocentesis to check for uterine infection or to check if the fetal lungs are mature enough to prepare for birth;
Use drugs to induce labor if this doesn't happen naturally. This will help increase fertility, reduce the risk of infection. Your doctor will stimulate labor if your baby's lungs are mature enough or if you have an infection.
After the amniotic membrane has ruptured, antispasmodic drugs (tocolytic) are not very effective at this time in slowing or preventing labor pain. However, sometimes a doctor will take tocolytic medication to delay preterm birth. It works long enough for antibiotics and corticosteroids to work (24 hours) and long enough to send pregnant women to the maternity hospital.
Hope this article can provide more useful information for pregnant mothers.
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