Multi-Causal Phenomenon of Preterm Delivery (Epidemiological Review)

Abstract

Major reasons for infant morbidity around the world are preterm delivery, infections, and complications. Premature
children, who succeed to live, often have health-related issues. Medicine today uses modern achievements in diagnostics to reveal potential preterm delivery. Possible syndromes of preterm delivery are of heterogeneous nature, and include biological, social, and psychological factors. It’s a sad fact, but even “healthy” mothers give birth to premature
babies. Various surveys described in this article are clear proof of that. Together with clinical issues of preterm delivery, medical-technical issues should also be considered alongside with ethical norms and legal issues of obligation of
treatment or refusal to treatment. Psychological side is also of importance, since birth of a premature baby usually poses
stress to the family, where adults require moral support to resolve it in a dignified manner. To reduce the burden of
health complications resulting from preterm delivery, it is necessary to find ways for completing the full term of pregnancy, at least until week 39. For this, the quality of care for pregnant women and infants should increase, new preventive and treatment measures are to be found, and new global initiatives need to appear.