Why EGG HP focuses on Preterm Birth and Related Complications

Preterm Birth

Babies born preterm face more health challenges and are at greater risk of dying than full-term babies. This risk is even higher in babies who are Black or Brown or born into lower-income settings. The CDC website has more detail on preterm births.

Many pregnant women aren't fully informed about the signs of premature labor or the dangers of preterm birth. Some doctors avoid talking about it to avoid causing worry. Yet, many pregnant women report that they prefer to be informed about these risks. Research also shows that many expectant mothers who are at increased risk for preterm birth and other related complications like preeclampsia and slowed fetal growth (due to risk factors like hypertension, diabetes, mental health conditions, and exposures like infection, smoking, and other substance use, are not getting the information they need and want related to interventions that may be helpful to them.

*You can read some landmark research here that examined how providers, pregnant people, and mothers think about risk communication and preterm birth. 

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Preterm birth impacts many babies globally. In the United States, the highest levels of preterm birth are among new mothers who identify as Black, Hispanic, or Indigenous and in those with lower income. In particular, Black women's preterm birth rates are 50% higher than other groups, due to social factors like racism and discrimination and associated health risks. You can read more about social factors (often called "social determinants of health") associated with preterm birth here.

Several factors can lead to preterm birth, including past preterm birth, high blood pressure, smoking, and stress. Good prenatal care and certain treatments, like quitting smoking or taking low-dose aspirin, can help reduce the risk. Medical treatments can sometimes delay or stop early labor. You can read more about these treatments on the Mayo Clinic website here.

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Preeclampsia

Preeclampsia is a complication of pregnancy that is closely related to having high blood pressure and is sometimes associated with protein in the urine which can indicate kidney damage. Without treatment (which can include medications to lower blood pressure), preeclampsia can lead to serious complications in expectant mothers and babies including death. Preeclampsia can also happen after delivery (a condition called postpartum preeclampsia).

You can read more about preeclampsia here on the Mayo Clinic website.

Preterm birth and preeclampsia share many of the same risk factors and as such, also share a number of recommended interventions when risk factors like preexisting and gestational hypertension are present. This includes aspirin therapy. You can read more about aspirin therapy here.

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Fetal Growth Restriction

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Fetal Growth Restriction (also called intrauterine growth restriction) is when a fetus is growing slower than expected. If this slow growth continues throughout pregnancy it can lead to difficulties throughout a child's lifetime.

Fetal growth restriction is generally diagnosed by ultrasound as part of routine prenatal care. You can read more about fetal growth restriction on the Cleveland Clinic website here.

As with preeclampsia, fetal growth restriction shares many of the same risk factors as preterm birth. As such, monitoring and addressing many of the risk factors for preterm birth like hypertension, smoking, and other factors can also help guard against fetal growth restriction.

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Other Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes

There are a number of other adverse pregnancy-related outcomes that also have close ties to preterm birth and related risk factors. This includes conditions like recurrent miscarriage, congenital birth defects, maternal morbidity and mortality, and many other outcomes. If you have questions or concerns about these or other conditions, you should talk to your prenatal provider who is your best resource for understanding your own pregnancy health and related risks. 

You can learn more about some other adverse pregnancy outcomes like recurrent miscarriage on the American College of Cardiology website here.  You can read more about birth defects from the CDC here. You can read more about maternal and morbidity form the US National Institutes of Health here.

HELLO EGG

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Our HELLO EGG app is designed to help expectant and new mothers better understand their own risk for preterm birth and other related outcomes and offers resources to help people identify interventions, help, and resources that may be helpful to them. Our smart AI companion, Olivia, is designed to answer personalized questions about preterm birth and other conditions as well as about risk and related interventions using state of the art information. To protect your privacy, HELLO EGG is designed to keep your conversations about specific health needs and conditions separate from any person information like name, email address, or phone number. 

EGG HP has compiled a list of resources that can aid women in better understanding their pregnancy health and finding help (including for things like smoking, mental health challenges, food insecurity). You can review these resources here

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HELLO EGG will be available in the Apple App Store and on Google Play in Spring 2024.  

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You can get on the waitlist for HELLO EGG here:

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