Premature rupture of membranes

Abstract

Premature rupture of membranes occurs in about 3% of all pregnancies, and its management is complicated due to a wide scale of strategies according to gestational age. Accurate determination of the gestational age, assessment of feto-maternal conditions, and perinatal risk analysis are essential to make an optimal decision on treatment and give a realistic information to the family. This chapter covers the definition, incidence, etiology, diagnosis, complications and management of Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) and Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (P-PROM). Evidence-based discussion of antibiotherapy, corticosteroid administration, neuroprotective magnesium sulphate, and tocolytic treatments are presented to create an algorithm and route to decide the optimal delivery time.