Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 12, 2026
A Novel Method for Involving Women of Color at High Risk for Preterm Birth in Research Priority Setting
Published on: January 12, 2018
The prevention, diagnosis and treatment of premature labor
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Jena University Hospital, Germany. Ekkehard.Schleussner@med.uni-jena.de
Insights
Preventing preterm labor is crucial as it causes most perinatal deaths. Progesterone and specialized care can significantly reduce preterm births and improve infant survival rates.
Area of Science:
- Obstetrics and Gynecology
- Neonatology
- Perinatal Medicine
Background:
- Preterm birth rate in Germany is 9%, contributing to 77% of perinatal deaths.
- Significant research focuses on preventing and treating premature labor.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current strategies for preventing and treating preterm labor.
- To improve outcomes for preterm infants.
Main Methods:
- Selective literature review from 1966-2012.
- Inclusion of Cochrane meta-analyses and obstetric society guidelines.
Main Results:
- Preterm labor is multifactorial; current treatments are symptomatic.
- Progesterone reduces preterm birth by >30% in high-risk groups.
- Specialized perinatal care and fetal lung maturation reduce mortality.
Conclusions:
- Prolonging pregnancy in at-risk cases reduces perinatal morbidity and mortality.
- Integrated strategies improve survival and reduce complications for preterm infants.
Background:
The percentage of preterm births in Germany is high at 9%, but stable. 77% of cases of perinatal death are in prematurely born infants. Intensive research efforts are being directed toward the development of new means of primary and secondary prevention, diagnostic assessment, and pharmacotherapy of premature labor.
Methods:
We review pertinent publications that were retrieved by a selective search of the literature from 1966 to 2012, including current meta-analyses from the Cochrane database and the guidelines of German and foreign obstetric societies.
Results:
Preterm labor is a multifactorial problem. The current treatment options are symptomatic, rather than causally directed. Preventive treatment with progesterone can lower the rate of preterm birth in high-risk groups by more than 30%. Transporting the pregnant women to an appropriately qualified perinatal care center and induction of fetal lung maturation lowers perinatal mortality. A variety of tocolytic drugs with different mechanisms of action (betamimetics, oxytocin antagonists, calcium-channel blockers, NO donors, and inhibitors of prostaglandin synthesis) can be used for individualized tocolytic treatment. Premature rupture of the membranes is an indication for antibiotics.
Conclusion:
The goal of all attempts to prevent and treat preterm labor is to improve preterm infants' chances of surviving with as few complications as possible. The methods discussed here can be used to prolong pregnancies at risk for preterm labor and so to reduce perinatal morbidity and mortality.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Preventive Healthcare Services
01:26Levels of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention
In primary prevention, actions taken before disease onset prevent the disease from...
01:30Pneumonia V: Nursing management and Prevention
The nurse must practice strict medical asepsis and adhere to infection control guidelines to minimize healthcare-associated infections.
Enhance airway patency
Position the patient correctly to facilitate drainage of the affected lung segments. Manual or mechanical percussion and vibration can also be employed.
01:19Mitral Valve Prolapse III: Nursing Management
01:29Local Anesthetics: Clinical Application as Epidural Anesthesia
Since epidural anesthetics can be infused through an epidural catheter, all types of drugs, including short-acting ones, can be administered. Chloroprocaine and lidocaine are examples of short and long-duration anesthetics, respectively. Bupivacaine...
01:27Pulmonary Embolism III: Nursing Management