Advances in Management for Preterm Fetuses at Risk of Delivery

Ukachi N Emeruwa1, Nicole M Krenitsky2, Jean-Ju Sheen3

  • 1Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 622 East 168th Street PH 16-66, New York, NY 10032, USA. Electronic address: https://twitter.com/MissUkachi.

Clinics in Perinatology
|November 6, 2020
PubMed

Preterm birth accounts for only 11% of live births but contributes to up to 75% of neonatal mortality and more than half of long-term morbidity. Targeted interventions to reduce the most common causes of perinatal morbidity and mortality include intrapartum group B Streptococcus prophylaxis, magnesium sulfate for fetal neuroprotection, antenatal corticosteroids for fetal lung maturity, latency antibiotics for preterm premature rupture of membranes, and tocolysis to allow corticosteroid administration and transfer to a tertiary care center. This article reviews the evidence for interventions to improve outcomes for fetuses at risk for preterm delivery at different gestational ages.