Current perspectives on risk factors for premature rupture of membranes

Aim. To summarize factors that may lead to premature rupture of membranes through the literature analysis. Materials and Methods. A search was conducted in the PubMed database using the keywords: "prelabor rupture of membranes" and "premature rupture of membranes." A total of 1,287 sources were identified. After removing 256 duplicate records, a screening process was carried out. Based on title and abstract review, 624 studies were excluded. Following full-text analysis, 198 studies were excluded due to lack of relevance to the review topic, and an additional 62 publications were excluded due to unavailability of full-text access. In total, 54 publications met the inclusion criteria. The search covered the past 5 years (2019–2024). Results. The analysis addressed risk factors associated with infection, metabolic syndrome, the influence of biologically active substances, and endothelial dysfunction. Conclusion. At present, there is no unified understanding of the pathogenesis of premature rupture of membranes. The infectious and endothelial theories appear to be the most promising; however, neither fully explains the processes involved in the development or mechanisms underlying this complication. The risk factors described in the literature are highly heterogeneous and do not conform to a single conceptual framework