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Preterm Labor - Treatment Overview

Treatment to slow your preterm labor contractions may be used if:

  • You are between 23 and 34 completed weeks of pregnancy.
  • You are having regular contractions. This means about 4 or more in 20 minutes, or about 8 or more within 1 hour, even after you have had a glass of water and are resting.
  • Your cervix has opened (dilated) to more than 2 centimeters and has begun to thin (efface).

Preterm labor is not always treated. When a pregnancy is nearing term (about 37 or more weeks), or when the mother or her fetus has a serious medical problem, preterm labor is usually allowed to continue until delivery.

When deciding on the amount and type of treatment, your doctor or nurse-midwife will think about:

If you are treated for preterm labor

Preterm labor is usually treated in the hospital, in the labor and delivery area. Whether your amniotic membranes have ruptured before contractions start (preterm premature rupture of membranes, or pPROM) or after contractions have begun (spontaneous rupture of membranes, or SROM), you will be admitted directly to the labor and delivery unit. If rupture of membranes has not occurred, you will be observed for at least an hour or two to see whether your contractions continue and your cervix changes (opens and thins).

  • If your cervix does not change, or if your contractions stop or slow down, you may be sent home.
  • If your cervix changes, you will be admitted to the labor and delivery unit.

If you are admitted to the labor and delivery unit, your doctor or nurse-midwife may choose to:

  • Use medicine to try to slow or stop the contractions , thus preventing the cervix from opening wider (dilating) or becoming thinner (effacing). Short-term treatment with tocolytic medicine is the current treatment. If effective, tocolytics may delay birth for more than 48 hours.6
  • Treat or prevent infection with antibiotics.
  • Help the fetus's lungs mature quickly with antenatal corticosteroids (given to you). These medicines take 24 to 48 hours to benefit the fetus.

WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise

Last Updated: January 14, 2009
This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise disclaims any liability for the decisions you make based on this information.
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