ItemBook Chapter

Preterm Birth and Prematurity Prevention

Title
Preterm Birth and Prematurity Prevention
Creator
Bhotla, Haripriya Kuchi; Balamuralikrishnan, Dhanalakshmi; Meyyazhagan, Arun; Tosto, Valentina; Di Renzo, Gian Carlo
Description
About 3.2% of live births comprise twins, and 20% account for preterm labor, with delivery of twins before 37 and 32weeks of gestation approximately 60% and 10.7%. About five times elevated risk of initial neonatal and infant mortality is noted in the case of twin pregnancy in preterm parturition cases. Both spontaneous and indicated preterm labor are observed more in monochorionic twins than in dichorionic twins. Prediction and diagnosis of preterm labor is effectively done using transvaginal ultrasound to compute the length of the cervix before 24weeks without any risk. Vaginal administration of progesterone in women with less than 25 mm cervical length is beneficial to prevent preterm and neonatal obstacles in twin pregnancies. Physical evaluation showed that women undergoing cerclage surgery, when cervical dilation is greater than 1cm, have lowered risk of perinatal death and preterm labor at varied gestational stages. In a few studies, twin delivery is not directly associated with preterm and related complications. However, pregnancies weighing less than 1000g are associated with major disability around year 1 compared to singleton preterm. All these considerations are crucial in order to optimize the antenatal management of this group of pregnancies destined to show an increasing trend. The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2026.
Source
Twins Lifelong Health: From Prenatal to Adult Life;pp.233-247
Date
01-01-2026
Publisher
Springer Nature
Subject
Cerclage; Cervical length; Preterm birth; Progesterone; Twin pregnancy
Coverage
Bhotla H.K., Saveetha Medical College and Hospital, Saveetha Institute of Medical and Technical Sciences (SIMATS), Thandalam, Tamil Nadu, Chennai, India; Balamuralikrishnan D., Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecological Nursing, Keerrai Thamil Selvan College of Nursing (Affiliated To: Tamil Nadu Dr. M.G.R. Medical University), Tamil Nadu, Pudukkottai, India; Meyyazhagan A., Department of Life Sciences, CHRIST (Deemed to be University), Karnataka, Bengaluru, India; Tosto V., Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Giannina Gaslini Childrens Hospital, Genoa, Italy; Di Renzo G.C., PREIS International School, Florence, Italy, GLOWM, London, United Kingdom
Rights
Restricted Access; Hardcopy may be available in the library
Relation
ISBN: 978-303209464-3; 978-303209463-6;
Format
online
Language
English
Type
Book chapter

Citation

Bhotla, Haripriya Kuchi; Balamuralikrishnan, Dhanalakshmi; Meyyazhagan, Arun; Tosto, Valentina; Di Renzo, Gian Carlo, “Preterm Birth and Prematurity Prevention,” CHRIST (Deemed To Be University) Institutional Repository, accessed June 18, 2026, https://archives.christuniversity.in/items/show/24086.

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