The review of medical records and
placental pathology results can be helpful in this process.
Spontaneous preterm births are those in which the onset of parturition was spontaneous, regardless of whether
the process was later augmented. Rather than determining
whether a prior preterm birth was spontaneous, it
may be easier first to exclude a prior preterm birth that
was obviously indicated (ie, initiated by the obstetric
care provider for a medical condition that threatened
maternal health, fetal health, or both).