For the average expectant woman, the realization that her water has broken is a welcome experience. The end of nine months of pregnancy is coming to a close and soon a full-term healthy baby will soon make an entrance in the world.

But for some women, this usually exciting event can occur much too soon, resulting in complications for both Mother and Baby. In previous decades, a premature rupture of membranes before 37 weeks may have resulted in a greater likelihood of maternal and fetal/neonatal complications as compared to today.

Two experts answer the most frequently asked questions regarding preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM), which occurs in 3 to 4 percent of all pregnancies without a prior history and is responsible for nearly one-third of all preterm births occurring before 37 weeks of gestation.

According to Dr. Jonathan Hodor, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist in private practice in Maryland, PPROM represents a rupture of the amniotic membranes prior to 37 weeks of gestation without the onset of uterine contractions.

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