[메디칼업저버 신형주 기자] 1 in 10 mothers experience premature birth, and in the last 10 years, the number of premature births has increased by 1.5 times.
According to the Korea Institute for Health and Social Affairs, between 2011 and 2021, the number of births in Korea decreased by 45% from 471,000 to 261,000, while the proportion of premature babies increased 1.5 times from 6.0% to 9.2% during the same period.
Premature labor is delivery that occurs between 20 and 37 weeks of gestation. In the case of newborns born before 37 weeks of age, mortality and morbidity may increase, and caution is required as they may have various complications such as behavioral disorders, cerebral palsy, autism, and asthma.
To prevent preterm labor, it is important to predict preterm labor.
The most accurate predictive method is to measure the length of the cervix by ultrasonography during the second trimester.
The cervix serves to prevent the fetus from falling out during pregnancy.
As childbirth approaches, the length of the cervix should shorten, but shortening the length of the cervix before then increases the risk of premature birth.
In general, in the case of pregnant women between 18 and 24 weeks of gestation, caution is required if the cervical length is less than 2.5 cm.
In this case, progesterone therapy, which is a drug treatment, or cervical circular ligation, which is a physical method, may be required for preventive treatment.
In particular, in the case of high-risk mothers, it is necessary to know the risk factors of premature birth from the pre-pregnancy stage and make efforts to correct them.
▲Elderly mothers aged 35 or older ▲Mothers younger than 19 years old ▲Have a history of frequent miscarriages, deformities, or premature births ▲Have a family history of genetic diseases ▲Diseases that can affect pregnancy, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, thyroid disease, or asthma Mothers who have ▲underweight or obese ▲mothers with uterine and cervical deformities are classified as high-risk mothers.
Multiple pregnancies through in vitro fertilization also increase the risk of complications for newborns and mothers, requiring attention.
Professor Ahn Ki-hoon said, “Identifying and preparing for risk factors through pre-pregnancy examinations and regular examinations during pregnancy is a sure way to protect the health of mother and child.” It is important to receive treatment and care,” he said.
On the other hand, in addition to existing treatments, related research is actively conducted worldwide to identify the root cause of cervical length shortening and prevent and treat it.
At PREBIC-AA 2023, an academic conference of the International Midwifery Association held in Australia not too long ago, researchers from around the world presented research to identify the prevention and mechanism of premature birth.
Professor Ahn Ki-Hoon received great attention from the academic world by presenting ‘Current Status of Midwifery Research in Korea’ and ‘Hypothesis on Differences in Cellular and Extracellular Matrix Composition of the Cervix’.
Professor Ahn Ki-hoon is a director of the Asia-Oceania Branch of the International Society of Midwifery (PREBIC), and is actively engaged in international activities representing Korea and the Asia-Pacific region.
Professor Ahn is leading the development of the field of maternal-fetal medicine by focusing not only on clinical studies but also on academic and research activities.