PRETERM PRELABOUR RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES (PPROM)

PRETERM PRELABOUR RUPTURE OF MEMBRANES (PPROM) R. NDERITU • occurs before 37 completed (preterm) weeks’ gestation, where the fetal membranes rupture without the onset of spontaneous uterine (PRELABOUR/PROM) activity and the consequential cervical dilatation. • affects 2% of pregnancies and placental abruption is evident in 4–7% of women who present with PPROM. • The condition has a 17–32% recurrence rate in subsequent pregnancies of affected women (Svigos et al 2011). • There is a strong association between PPROM and maternal colonization (Bacterial vaginosis [BV]), with potentially pathogenic micro-organisms, with a 30% incidence of subclinical chorio amnionitis (Hay 2012). • • Infection may both precede (and cause) or follow PPROM. • It is also more common in smokers and recreational drug users, for example cocaine users. • • Preterm prelabour rupture of the membranes is associated with 40% of preterm births (RCOG 2010