What is the Best Treatment for Premature Labor?

If you are pregnant and have signs of

preterm labor

, your doctor may prescribe a tocolytic medication to suppress labor and give your baby's lungs more time to mature. Tocolytics can reduce contractions, thus delaying delivery, up to several days. If you are at risk of having a premature birth, you may feel anxious and scared. Recent studies have shown that treatment with progesterone can help prevent

preterm birth

in certain women.Pre-conception counseling should focus on family planning, nutrition, safe sex practices, treatment for sexually transmitted diseases, and avoiding cigarettes, alcohol, drugs, and hazardous working conditions.

It is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of these drugs due to the inability to make a definitive diagnosis of preterm labor and the lack of consensus regarding the definition of successful treatment. If you have a history of preterm birth or premature birth, you are at risk of having another premature birth. The goal of all attempts to prevent and treat

preterm birth

is to improve the chances that newborns will survive with as few complications as possible.Although the cause and effect have not yet been conclusively determined, diagnosis and treatment of infections are necessary to prevent perinatal transmission. In addition, pregnancy outcomes can be improved by treating pre-existing medical conditions such as hypertension and diabetes.

Vaginal infections are thought to be the main cause of premature birth and premature rupture of membranes. It is also recommended that each obstetrics service have its own internal guidelines on medications used to treat preterm labor; these guidelines allow doctors to make individual decisions with more confidence and without worrying about possible legal repercussions.Tocolytics can be used for 48 hours to delay preterm labor and allow corticosteroids to provide maximum benefit or, if needed, transfer to a hospital that can provide specialized care for your premature baby. Measuring the length of the cervix with a special transvaginal ultrasound probe can help predict the risk of giving birth prematurely. If a premature premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) is documented, a digital exam should not be performed.

Cervical cerclage may be recommended if you are less than 24 weeks pregnant, have a history of preterm delivery, and an ultrasound shows that the cervix is opening or if the length of the cervix is less than 25 millimeters.Therefore, depending on the particular clinical situation, the treatment of choice could be either prolonging the pregnancy or giving birth to the baby.