Preterm Birth

Preterm delivery can occur in women with pre-existing risk factors, but can also happen without any prior warning. If women are experiencing painful contractions escalating in frequency and severity before 36 weeks of pregnancy, they should have a low threshold for presenting to the Urgent Care Centre (UCC) for assessment. The same applies if there is bleeding or a concern the amniotic fluid might be leaking.

In cases of preterm labour or rupture of the membranes, BC Women’s has standard management protocols. Prospective parents will receive counselling by the neonatologist on-call.

Babies start to be able to survive outside the womb at 23-24 weeks of pregnancy. These newborns will require highly specialized care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at BC Children’s and can have a rocky course. Once a pregnancy reaches about 30 weeks, outcomes are generally favourable, though the newborn will typically need to stay in the NICU for special care until what would have been near term (36-37 weeks).

Babies born at or after 35-36 weeks will often be able to room in with their mom on the postpartum ward, and the risk of serious complications is low. They will often have minor issues (eg. low blood sugars, breastfeeding challenges, jaundice) that will be looked after by the general Pediatrician, and they may need to stay in hospital a bit longer than full term babies.

There is a mother-baby unit in the NICU (Rabbit Pod) for babies needing an intermediate level of NICU care.