Pregnant woman holding her belly

Information for women and families

PPROM under 23 weeks of pregnancy - When your waters break very early. A UK wide study of 364 women who experiences early PPROM (Preterm Prelabour Rupture of Membranes) from 16 weeks and 0 days to 22 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. Conducted September 2019 to February 2021.

How common is it?

Early PPROM happens to at least 2 women every 3 days in the UK

PPROM Infographic 4 resized

 

What happened to the babies?

Amongst women who continued their pregnancy 44% had a baby that was born alive and 18% had a baby that survived to hospital discharge without severe morbidity.

 PPROM Infographic 6 resized

 

What happened to the Mothers?

14% of mothers developed sepsis and 2 women (out of 364) died, both from sepsis.

How can this research help?

1. By alerting healthcare professionals to the serious nature of sepsis with early PPROM and the need for urgent treatment.

2. By alerting pregnant women to seek medical help promptly if they are unwell, especially if they have concerns about infection.

Symptoms of infection:

  • Feeling hot and shivery
  • Unusual vaginal discharge
  • A high temperature
  • Abdominal (tummy) pain 

You can find out more about the symptoms of infection on the Sepsis Trust website. 

 

Important considerations

In this study, when we say baby has "severe illness" it means the baby needed oxygen after birth when the mother would have been in 36 weeks of pregnancy and/or the baby had a significant bleed on the brain, which in some babies leads to cerebral palsy.

Long term disability is hard to predict from this data.

There are currently no national guidelines about how women with PPROM between 16 and 23 weeks of pregnancy should be cared for and outcomes may be different if guidelines were introduced.

 

 

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