International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics

A female who is born before their due date is more susceptible to obstetric difficulties later on than those who are born on time, a new study has found.

According to data from the Sainte-Justine Mother and Child University Hospital Center and the University of Montreal, only one in ten women who were carried to full term experience difficulties during their own pregnancy.

By contrast, problems are likely to arise in one-fifth of those who are born early.

Dr Anne Noyt, a researcher involved in the study, commented: "The impact of preterm births on obstetric care should be taken into account by professionals providing care directly to patients and by managers allocating resources within the healthcare system."

The findings, which were published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, were based on examinations of women born between 1976 and 1995 who had given birth at least once between 1987 and 2008.

Posted by Alexandra George