London, Oct 30: Women who take more than a year to get pregnant have a slightly higher than normal chance of giving birth prematurely, new research indicates. Premature birth (when the baby is delivered before 37 weeks of pregnancy) is a major public health concern because underdeveloped babies are at increased risk of death in the first year of life and are more likely to develop heart, lung and brain disorders if they survive.
The causes are not well understood. Some of the pre-term births are caused by maternal or fetal stress, infections, high blood pressure, bleeding or stretching of the uterus. But almost half of all premature births have no known cause.
Experts say the latest research, published this week in the journal human reproduction, indicates that certain fertility troubles may explain part of the mystery.
The study is the largest ever conducted on infertility and birth outcomes.
Bureau Report