title: The preterm birth syndrome: issues to consider in creating a classification system.
abstract: A comprehensive classification system for preterm birth requires expanded gestational boundaries that recognize the early origins of preterm parturition and emphasize fetal maturity over fetal age. Exclusion of stillbirths, pregnancy terminations, and multifetal gestations prevents comprehensive consideration of the potential causes and presentations of preterm birth. Any step in parturition (cervical softening and ripening, decidual-membrane activation, and/or myometrial contractions) may initiate preterm parturition, and should be recorded for every preterm birth, as should the condition of the mother, fetus, newborn, and placenta, before a phenotype is assigned.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Drexel University, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Robert L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Goldenberg
authors.forename: Michael G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gravett
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Iams
authors.forename: Aris T
authors.initials: AT
authors.lastname: Papageorghiou
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Waller
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kramer
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Culhane
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Barros
authors.forename: Augustin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Conde-Agudelo
authors.forename: Zulfiqar A
authors.initials: ZA
authors.lastname: Bhutta
authors.forename: Hannah E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Jose
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Villar
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D036801:Parturition; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000145:classification* / Q000175:diagnosis*; D050497:Stillbirth