Hello and welcome to the zero to finals podcast. My name is Tom and in this episode I'm going to be talking to you about premature labor.

And you can find written notes on this topic at zero to finals.com slash premature or in the labor and delivery section of the zero to finals obstetrics and gynecology book.

So let's get straight into it.

Let's start with some basic definitions.

Rpture of membranes refers to when the amniotic sac has ruptured.

Spontaneous rupture of membranes refers to when the amniotic sack has ruptured spontaneously,

without any interventions.

Premature of membranes refers to when the amniotic sack has ruptured before the onset of labor.

Premature pre-lour rupture of membranes

refers to when the amniotic sac has ruptured

before the onset of labour

and before 37 weeks gestation,

meaning it's pre-term.

Prolonged rupture of membranes

refers to when the amniotic sac ruptures more than 18 hours

before delivery of the baby. Next let's touch on prematurity. Prematurity is defined as birth

before 37 weeks gestation. The more premature the baby, the worse the outcomes. Babies are considered

non-viable before 23 weeks gestation, when they're considered not to be able to survive. Generally,

from 23 to 24 weeks gestation, resuscitation is not considered in babies that do not show signs of life after delivery.

Babies born at 23 weeks gestation have around a 10% chance of survival.

From 24 weeks gestation onwards, there is an increased chance of survival and full resuscitation is offered.

The World Health Organization classify prematurity as when they're under 28 weeks, that's extreme preterm,

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