WEDNESDAY, June 30 (HealthDay News) -- Most new or expectant moms have not discussed the possibility of preterm birth with their health care providers, despite the fact that one in eight babies born every year is preterm, according to the results of a survey conducted by the March of Dimes and BabyCenter.
The Survey on Perceptions, Experiences, Assessment and Knowledge About Preterm Birth was issued to 798 U.S. women aged 18 to 44, including 152 who had had preterm births, 324 who were currently pregnant, and 322 who had given birth in the past 12 months. The initiative also included a survey of 225 obstetrician/gynecologists.
Among the survey's key findings: a majority of new or expectant mothers had not discussed preterm birth with their health care provider during their current pregnancy; less than half of new or expectant moms felt very informed about preterm labor symptoms and lifelong consequences; only 15 percent of moms with a prior preterm birth discussed preterm birth before the second trimester; nearly 40 percent of moms with a prior preterm delivery were not told of their risk for another preterm birth; more than two-thirds of new and expectant moms did not know the definition of a preterm birth; and one-third of new and expectant moms did not know the risk factors for preterm birth. In the provider survey, obstetrician/gynecologists cited the lack of options for preterm birth prevention, and concern about causing undue fear or worry as challenges in discussing the topic.
"Findings from this survey underscore the need for earlier communication between expectant moms and their health care providers," Alan R. Fleischman, M.D., senior vice president and medical director of the March of Dimes, said in a statement. "We encourage every woman to have a medical check up before getting pregnant to identify and manage conditions that contribute to preterm delivery. And we urge women and health care providers to talk about risk factors for premature birth as early as possible."
The survey was sponsored by Ther-Rx Corporation.
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