Delaying an untimely delivery

Abstract

Preterm labour is defined as the onset of labour before 259 days of gestation or 37 completed weeks. When diagnosing a case of preterm labour, problems arise because of the difficulty in defining established labour. labour is usually heralded by the onset of regular uterine con- tractions which produce effective cervical dilatation. Premature births account for a large fraction of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Despite major advances in neonatal care, retention of the foetus in utero is preferred in most instances. It is often difficult to determine if premature birth is imminent, and 50% or more of patients who present with regular contractions will respond to simple bed rest. If this fails, a tocolytic may be administered. The desire to prolong intrauterine development must be balanced against the risks of continuing the pregnancy, for both the mother and the foetus. One must also consider the risks of pharma- cological intervention in the particular patient.