Which finding places a client at risk for preterm labor?

Which finding places a client at risk for preterm labor?

• A. History of cardiac disease
• B. Age 35 primigravida
• C. Hemoglobin 13.5 g/dL
• D. 20-year-old primigravida of average weight

Answer: (A)

The main concept is recognizing medical conditions that directly push a pregnancy toward earlier delivery. A history of cardiac disease makes preterm labor more likely because pregnancy imposes major cardiovascular changes—blood volume increases and cardiac output rises. In someone with heart disease, this added workload can lead to decompensation (such as heart failure, arrhythmias, or pulmonary edema). To protect both mother and fetus, clinicians may choose to deliver early if the cardiac condition worsens or cannot be safely managed, increasing the likelihood of a preterm birth. Advanced maternal age is a risk factor for preterm birth, but it’s not as direct a trigger as existing cardiac disease. A normal hemoglobin and being a young, average-weight primigravida do not by themselves indicate an elevated risk for preterm labor.

The main concept is recognizing medical conditions that directly push a pregnancy toward earlier delivery. A history of cardiac disease makes preterm labor more likely because pregnancy imposes major cardiovascular changes—blood volume increases and cardiac output rises. In someone with heart disease, this added workload can lead to decompensation (such as heart failure, arrhythmias, or pulmonary edema). To protect both mother and fetus, clinicians may choose to deliver early if the cardiac condition worsens or cannot be safely managed, increasing the likelihood of a preterm birth.

Advanced maternal age is a risk factor for preterm birth, but it’s not as direct a trigger as existing cardiac disease. A normal hemoglobin and being a young, average-weight primigravida do not by themselves indicate an elevated risk for preterm labor.