In plain words
Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes is when the bag of waters breaks before 37 weeks and before labor has begun. Some mothers feel a gush of fluid. Others notice a slow, steady leak, or wetness they cannot explain. It is a serious sign, because the baby is not yet fully mature and infection can develop. Your provider will check the fluid and the baby, and may admit you for monitoring. Treatment depends on how far along you are and whether there are signs of infection. Steroids may be offered to help the baby's lungs mature, and antibiotics may be used. Many babies born after this condition do well with care. Call your provider or go to the hospital right away if you think your water has broken early.
The deeper version
Preterm prelabor rupture of membranes is rupture of the fetal membranes before 37 weeks without labor, and it accounts for a substantial share of spontaneous preterm births. Diagnosis uses speculum examination with pooling and ferning, nitrazine, and ultrasound. ACOG Practice Bulletin 217 (2020) describes expectant management before viability and in the periviable period, with , (typically latency antibiotics per the Cochrane evidence), and monitoring for . Antenatal corticosteroids and for neuroprotection follow defined gestational thresholds. The main controversy concerns the optimal timing of delivery versus expectant management, which trades maternal infection risk against neonatal prematurity.
Where it comes up
- When your water breaksGetting Ready for Birth
- Short cervix and signs of preterm laborPregnancy: Your Body
- Sex during pregnancyPregnancy: Your Body
- Induction: why, how, and what to askGetting Ready for Birth
What mothers here say about preterm prelabor rupture of membranes
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Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists — Practice Bulletin 217: Prelabor Rupture of Membranes (2020)
- Kenyon S et al. — Antibiotics for preterm rupture of membranes. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (2013)