Prevention of preterm birth in 2014

摘要

Preterm birth remains a vexing problem for patients, care providers, and our society as a whole. Despite an enormous amount of research time and treasure that has been devoted to its reduction, its frequency has remained essentially stable over decades. A preterm birth, moreover, has potentially far-reaching implications-preterm neonates are at significantly increased risk of mortality and morbidity, including adverse health outcomes such as cardiovascular disease, that may not even be experienced until decades after birth. Conservatively, the costs of preterm birth exceed twenty billion dollars per year.