What is preterm premature rupture of membranes?
Your baby is surrounded by a sac of amniotic fluid. Some people call it the bag of waters. In most cases, this sac breaks during labor. Preterm premature rupture of membranes occurs when your water breaks before labor begins and more than three weeks before your due date. You may notice a gush of fluid, a slow leak or a trickle from the vagina. Why does it happen? The reason why this happens is not known. There is nothing you could have done to cause or prevent this. Preterm premature rupture of membranes probably occurs for many different reasons. Women who smoke cigarettes, have had bleeding during pregnancy or whose water broke before they went into labor in a previous pregnancy are more likely to have PPROM. Uterine contractions, too much amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios), or infections can cause the membranes to weaken and break. How often does it happen? Preterm premature rupture of membranes occurs in 2 out of every 100 pregnancies. How is it diagnosed? If you are leaking a lot of
