Prematurity
Premature births, or prematurity, occur when babies are born before the completion of 37 weeks of pregnancy. Some half-million babies are born prematurely in the United States – one of every eight babies. Babies who are born too early (preemies) weigh much less than babies who are delivered at full-term. Their organs may not have had time to be fully developed. Mothers who are at risk of prematurity must receive more frequent obstetric care. After birth, premature babies need highly sophisticated medical care in a special nursing unit called the neonatal intensive care unit or NICU. Prematurity is a risk factor for developmental conditions.
Why UAB
The Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialists at the University of Alabama Birmingham Women & Infants Center are available on-site 24 hours a day to manage problems associated with high-risk pregnancies. Our physicians are experts at managing conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, Rh sensitization, multiple births, premature delivery risk, and other potential complications.
MFM specialists at the UAB have access to treatments that often are not yet available elsewhere, which can reduce the chance of a recurrent preterm birth by one-third to one-half. We are one of the nation’s most advanced MFM programs, as evidenced by being one of only 14 centers participating in the national Maternal-Fetal Medicine Units Network for high-risk pregnancy research. To support our research we developed Alabama’s first OB/GYN Research and Diagnostic Laboratory, which implemented the first comprehensive first-trimester screening program and the first integrated first- and second-trimester screening program for fetal abnormalities.
Patients at UAB have access to the most up-to-date care, including first-trimester diagnosis, genetic testing and counseling, and 4D-ultrasound and fetal imaging. UAB's team includes only board-certified MFM specialists as well as specialists with genetics certification. Our program also includes a personal labor nurse and three anesthesia specialists.
Images and Videos
Tiny Delivery
Baby Caleb weighed in at only two pounds and thirteen ounces after birth. Learn more about his story and hear from UAB Neonatologist Wally Carlo, MD, about the high level of care received in UAB's Regional Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (RNICU).
Watch Heather and Gary Lee's story of the help they received at UAB during their high risk pregnancy.
High Risk Pregnancy Help from UAB Maternal-Fetal Medicine
Gary and Heather Lee knew going into pregnancy that no matter what, her pregnancy would be considered high-risk. Her physician recommended she see the high risk pregnancy management doctors at UAB's Maternal-Fetal Medicine Clinic. Her pregnancy and the birth of her triplets was anything but routine, with one weighing in at less than two pounds. However, with the help of the experts at UAB, all three babies are now healthy and at home.


CLINICAL TRIALS
UAB is an active participant in research and clinical trials for the diagnosis and treatment of prematurity. We encourage you to speak to your physician about research and clinical trial options and browse the link below for more information.
View Clinical TrialsMore from UAB
Around the Web
Obstetrics & Gynecology Services
uabmedicine.org
UAB Women & Infants Center
uabmedicine.org
Women & Infants Services at UAB
uabmedicine.org
cdc.gov
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UPCOMING CLASSES AND EVENTS
- Genome: Unlocking Life's Code
Do you have your mother’s dimples? Or your father’s hairline? What makes us, us? And how much of it actually sets us apart from every other living thing on Earth?
Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code begins to unravel the mystery behind the complete set of instructions needed for every living thing on Earth to grow and function: the genome. Discover how your genome could be the key to maximizing your future quality of life as genomic science helps open the way to more personalized healthcare. See yourself in a new way: as an individual, as a member of a family, and as part of the diversity of life on Earth.
Genome: Unlocking Life’s Code opens January 19 at McWane Science Center and was made possible in part by financial support secured by the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health. The exhibit is sponsored by UAB Medicine, which is using its knowledge of the human genome to advance the field of precision medicine, an exciting approach to health care that combines the absolute latest in the prediction and prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of disease to deliver truly individualized patient care.