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Having a baby before the 37th week of pregnancy is called a premature birth

	While most early births happen “out of the blue,” there are certain risk factors that can predispose you to premature birth. Turn to ConsumerReportsHealth.org to find out how to possibly decrease your chances of having a premature birth.
	Subscribe to ConsumerReportsHealth.org for ratings of treatments to prevent premature birth, delay delivery and protect your preterm baby.

We've brought together the best research about preterm birth and weighed the evidence about how to treat it. You can use our information to talk to your doctor and decide which treatments are best for you.

Key points about premature birth

• You may be more likely to have a premature birth if you are from a poorer background, are carrying more than one baby, have a weakened cervix, or have an infection of the birth canal or womb, among other causes.
• Once you go into labor, delaying delivery can allow your baby a little more time to grow. In general, the longer the baby is in the mother’s womb, the healthier he or she will be.
• Drugs called calcium channel blockers can delay delivery by reducing or stopping your contractions.
• If your water breaks before 37 weeks, and before labor starts, infection can get in to your womb and harm your baby. Antibiotic injections help prevent infection, and also delay delivery.
• Steroid injections can speed up your baby’s development, improving his or her chances of a healthy start. They work best if you have them at least 24 hours before your baby is born.

Babies born after 32 weeks generally do well. They are usually small, and may need to stay in the hospital a little longer than other babies. But in the long run they do as well as babies born on or near their due date. Babies born before 32 weeks may be very small and not properly developed. They may need special care, usually in an incubator.

Serious health problems become less likely the longer your baby stays in the womb. So if it's safe, doctors may try to delay your delivery. This gives your baby more time to grow. It also gives doctors more time to give you treatments.

We encourage you to read our entire condition report and to consult with your doctor to learn more about premature birth. As a Consumer Reports Health subscriber, you’ll have access to our expert research and recommendations, and you’ll be more confident and knowledgeable about which treatments are best for you.