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Related Experiment Videos

Uterine contractions preceding labor.

Jason A Pates1, Donald D McIntire, Kenneth J Leveno

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, Texas, USA. japates@aol.com

Obstetrics and Gynecology
|September 4, 2007
PubMed
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A count of 12 or more contractions per hour in term pregnancies is a significant indicator that spontaneous labor has begun or is imminent. This finding aids in the early identification of true labor onset.

Area of Science:

  • Obstetrics and Gynecology
  • Maternal-Fetal Medicine

Background:

  • Assessing the onset of spontaneous labor is crucial for timely clinical management.
  • Establishing reliable predictors for labor onset can improve triage and admission decisions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine if a frequency of 12 contractions per hour is a meaningful predictor of spontaneous labor onset or imminence in term pregnancies.

Main Methods:

  • Prospective observational cohort study of 768 women at 36 0/7 to 41 6/7 weeks gestation.
  • External fetal monitoring for at least 1 hour in women presenting with contractions, cervical dilation < 4 cm, and intact membranes.
  • Admission criteria included cervical dilation of 4 cm; otherwise, women were discharged if labor did not progress.

Main Results:

Related Experiment Videos

  • Women with ≥12 contractions/hour were significantly more likely to be diagnosed with labor within 24 hours (76%) compared to those with <12 contractions/hour (52%), P<.001.
  • Presentation with ≥12 contractions/hour was associated with more advanced cervical dilation and fetal station.

Conclusions:

  • A frequency of 12 or more contractions per hour at term serves as a meaningful signal for the presence or imminence of true labor.
  • This contraction frequency can be a valuable tool in labor triage to predict impending labor.