Treatment of Imminent Premature Labour

Abstract

In this study, 194 imminent premature deliveries were treated. The pregnancies were in the 28th to 36th week. Uterine contractions were demonstrable in all patients and amniotic membranes were intact. All patients were treated with bedrest. Two betasympathomimetics were used in a double-blind study: Nyldrin hydrochloride (43 cases) and Isoxuprine hydrochloride (60 cases). A placebo was given to 41 patients, and ethyl alcohol to 50 patients. Intravenous and intramuscular treatment given in the hospital was continued with oral administration at home, and follow-up examinations were repeated at short intervals. Taking a minimum birth weight of 2500 g as the criteria of successful treatment, the success rate in the placebo group was 71%, in the Nylidrin hydrochloride group 86%, the Isoxuprine hydrochloride group 75% and the alcohol group 70%. When premature delivery was postponed 7 days, the pregnancy advanced., to the 37th week or later in 73, 77, 62 and 56% in their respective groups. The beta-sympathomimetics, especially the Nylidrin hydrochloride, were in every respect more efficient than placebo or alcohol. The therapeutic effect of alcohol was no better than that obtained with placebo. From the fetal point of view, the drugs used in the present study showed no adverse-effects.

Preterm birth and small for gestational age in relation to alcohol consumption during pregnancy: stronger associations among vulnerable women? results from two large Western-European studies

“…However, the findings on the usage of alcohol to treat threatening PTB are controversial [57-61]. In addition, the evidence for a positive effect is weak, as randomized control trials showed no effect of alcohol to prevent PTB [59-61] and the side-effects of alcohol were considered to be unacceptable [21,60]. Thus, this treatment method was abandoned.…”

Rofecoxib Versus Magnesium Sulfate to Arrest Preterm Labor: A Randomized Trial

“…When preterm labor is diagnosed on the basis of contractions alone, between 30% and 70% of women will resolve without treatment. 38,39 In this circumstance, many more patients would be required to determine a benefit of rofecoxib. It is likely that, despite the entry criteria, many of our patients were not in true preterm labor and the high success rate of both groups is the result of our definition of preterm labor.…”

A survey of etiological mechanisms and therapy of preterm labor

“…During the past 30 years, obstetricians have tried to arrest threatened preterm labor by use of two pharmacologically different drugs: beta(sympatho)mimetis (50,51) and prostaglandin-synthesis inhibitors such as indomethacin (52). Indometh-acin is shown to be a 20% more powerful tocolytic drug than the betamimetics (53,54), but it may cause constriction of the fetal ductus arteriosus (55) and neonatal bronchopulmonary dysplasia (56).…”