Recent studies have suggested that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) may be more prevalent among children born very prematurely. The early symptoms of ASD are also associated with other conditions related to preterm births, such as cerebral palsy, which can make it difficult to correctly screen children for ASD.

Giving pregnant mothers magnesium sulphate when they are at risk of very preterm birth can help protect their babies from cerebral palsy, according to an international review of research involving the University of Adelaide, Australia.

Magnesium sulphate protects very premature babies from cerebral palsy, a new study shows. The findings of this Cochrane Review could help reduce incidence of the disabling condition, which currently affects around one in every 500 newborn babies overall, but up to one-in-ten very premature babies (< 28 weeks of gestation).

New government statistics confirm that the decades-long rise in the United States preterm birth rate continues, putting more infants than ever at increased risk of death and disability.

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found that the gene ENPP1 is linked to preterm birth and low birth weight among Hispanic women.

Genetic mutations in the enzyme methylenetetrahydrofoloate reductase (MTHFR) and coagulation protein Factor V appear to have significant association with blood clots and tissue injury to the placenta and developing baby, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh’s department of obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences report at the 28th annual meeting of the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine.

When pregnant women are at high risk for preterm birth, giving them a single injection of corticosteroids has been shown to reduce the baby’s chances of having serious lung problems after birth.

Risk of a common vaginal infection linked to preterm birth appears to escalate when even one partner is African-American, according to a University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine study presented today at the 34th annual meeting of the Infectious Diseases Society for Obstetrics and Gynecology in Boston.

Two major studies published today in The New England Journal of Medicine can help doctors better identify pregnant women at risk for preterm delivery who can benefit from progesterone treatment, the March of Dimes Foundation said today.

Researchers in this week’s BMJ question whether giving repeated courses of steroid drugs to mothers at risk of preterm delivery is based on sound evidence.

The growing premature birth rate in the United States appears to be strongly associated with increased use of pesticides and nitrates, according to work conducted by Paul Winchester, M.D., professor of clinical pediatrics at the Indiana University School of Medicine.

Preterm birth contributes to more than one-third of all infant deaths, according to the National Vital Statistics report released today.