This week, Bobbi Conner talks with Dr. Charles Rittenberg about reducing risk of preterm birth. Dr. Rittenberg is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a maternal-fetal medicine specialist at MUSC Women’s Health.
TRANSCRIPT:
Conner: I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio with Health Focus here at the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston. One in every nine babies born in South Carolina in 2023 was born prematurely, putting these infants at increased risk of health complications. Doctor Charles Rittenberg is here to talk about what individuals can do to reduce their chance of having a preterm birth. Doctor Rittenberg is an Assistant Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and he's a maternal fetal medicine specialist at MUSC Women's Health. Doctor Rittenberg, tell us more about the prevalence of preterm birth in South Carolina.
Dr. Rittenberg: Nationally, the preterm birth rate is about one out of ten babies. In South Carolina, it's higher, at about one out of nine. And unfortunately, it's even higher among African Americans, at about one out of seven in our state.
Conner: And what is really considered a preterm birth.
Dr. Rittenberg: A preterm birth is less than 37 weeks of pregnancy. About three weeks before your due date.
Conner: And what are the concerns if a baby is born prematurely?
Dr. Rittenberg: Babies born before 28 weeks have a significantly increased risk of dying related to prematurity, but they also have an increased risk of long-term disabilities related to prematurity. And even those babies born as late as 34 to 37 weeks can have an increased risk of developmental delay.
Conner: And what causes individuals to have a preterm birth?
Dr. Rittenberg: There are multiple causes that we don't entirely understand. About two thirds to three quarters of preterm births are a result of preterm labor or premature rupture of membranes, and about a quarter to a third of preterm births are the result of medical conditions where we feel either the mother or the baby will do better if they're delivered early.
Conner: What risk factors might put an individual woman at higher risk of preterm birth?
Dr. Rittenberg: Probably the highest risk is if you've had a prior preterm birth, less so if a member of your family has had a prior preterm birth. For the preterm births that occur because of maternal illness, having those illnesses well controlled before you get pregnant would be helpful.
Conner: Well, what can be done prior to pregnancy to reduce the risk of preterm birth?
Dr. Rittenberg: I would encourage any woman who has a history of preterm birth, or who has a significant medical condition like diabetes, high blood pressure, lupus to see their obstetrician before they get pregnant because about half of pregnancies are unplanned. So, all of those conditions would have better outcomes if they're well controlled before pregnancy.
Conner: And what can really be done in that scenario? In other words, how would you reduce the risk for that individual person who might have some chronic conditions.
Dr. Rittenberg: Getting them well controlled. If they're diabetic, getting their diabetes under control. With blood pressure, not only getting the blood pressure well controlled, but there are certain blood pressure medicines that we don't want you to be on when you become pregnant. So, you want to get you on medications that would be safe in pregnancy and safe for your baby.
Conner: And what can be done during pregnancy to reduce the risk of preterm birth, especially for a woman who might be at increased risk of having a preterm birth.
Dr. Rittenberg: Unfortunately, we don't have as effective a treatment as we would like. We use progesterone for women either with a history of preterm birth or who have a short cervix. We usually don't start that until 16 to 20 weeks of pregnancy, but I think it's important for those people to be seen at least early in pregnancy, so we know that they're accurately dated and we start those medications at the right time.
Conner: Doctor Rittenberg, thanks for talking with us about reducing risk of preterm birth.
Dr. Rittenberg: Thanks for having me.
Conner: From the radio studio for the Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, I'm Bobbi Conner for South Carolina Public Radio.
Health Focus transcripts are intended to accurately represent the original audio version of the program; however, some discrepancies or inaccuracies may exist. The audio format serves as the official record of Health Focus programming.
