(preterm labor) Preterm labor is labor that starts before 37 completed weeks of pregnancy. It can lead to premature birth. Premature babies may face serious health risks. Symptoms of preterm labor include Contractions every 10 minutes or more often; Leaking fluid or bleeding from the vagina; Feeling of pressure in the pelvis; Low, dull backache; Cramps that feel like menstrual cramps; Abdominal cramps with or without diarrhea. If you think you might be having preterm labor, contact your health care provider. NIH: National Institute of Child Health and Human Development

(premature labor) Delivery of a viable infant before the normal end of gestation.

(premature labor) Onset of labor before term but after the fetus has become viable, in humans usually sometime between the 20th and 37th week of gestation.

(premature labor) Regular uterine activity with associated cervical change prior to 37 weeks gestation.

(obstetric labor, premature) Onset of OBSTETRIC LABOR before term (TERM BIRTH) but usually after the FETUS has become viable. In humans, it occurs sometime during the 29th through 38th week of PREGNANCY. TOCOLYSIS inhibits premature labor and can prevent the BIRTH of premature infants (INFANT, PREMATURE).

Labor (contractions resulting in cervical change) that begins before 37 weeks gestation is considered preterm. Risk factors include prelabor rupture of membranes, uterine abnormalities, infection, cervical incompetence, prior preterm birth, multifetal pregnancy, and fetal or placental abnormalities. Diagnosis is clinical. Causes are...

Preterm labor is defined as the presence of uterine contractions of sufficient frequency and intensity to effect progressive effacement and dilation of the cervix prior to term gestation. Occurring at 20-37 weeks� gestation, preterm labor precedes almost half of preterm births and is the leading cause of neonatal mortality in the United...

Preterm labor occurs when regular contractions result in the opening of your cervix after week 20 and before week 37 of pregnancy.

There is no internationally recognized definition of preterm labor. Preterm birth occurs between 24 and 37 weeks' gestation. In two-thirds of cases, it occurs following spontaneous onset of labor. Only a minority of women who present with preterm contractions known as threatened preterm labor (TPTL) progress to actual labor and delivery....