Article Abstract:
Preventing preterm delivery associated with premature rupture of membranes before 35 weeks of pregnancy may reduce the incidence of respiratory complications among newborns. Researchers evaluated the outcomes of 416 pregnant women who experienced preterm labor with or without premature rupture of membranes between gestational weeks 34 and 37. Infants born during the 34th week of pregnancy were more likely to experience lung membrane disease, to be admitted to intensive care, to be hospitalized longer than seven days, and to have low birth weights. White infants were much more likely to experience lung membrane disease (42.1%) than black infants (9.8%) when delivered at 34 weeks. Labor-preventing drugs should be used for women with preterm labor and intact membranes at 34 weeks, but not for women with ruptured membranes.
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Article Abstract:
Women who have had a difficult delivery because their infant had large shoulders may be at risk of having a similar delivery if they have another baby. Researchers used an obstetric database to identify 747 of 37,465 vaginal deliveries that were complicated by the infants' large shoulders, a rate of 2%. One hundred one women of the 747 cases went on to have 123 vaginal deliveries. Seventeen of the 123 deliveries were complicated by the infants' large shoulders, a rate of 13.8%. This recurrence rate is seven times that of the original rate. Risk factors for such deliveries are maternal obesity, having a large infant of over 4000 grams, and having an infant larger than previous infants. Doctors may consider offering such women elective cesarean sections.
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Article Abstract:
It does not appear to be necessary to gradually wean pregnant women from magnesium sulfate after successful treatment to stop premature labor. Later complications were analyzed among 141 women successfully treated with magnesium sulfate and then either slowly weaned or immediately discontinued from treatment. More weaned patients than non-weaned patients required further treatment to stop pre-term labor both within 24 hours of the first treatment and later in pregnancy. Labor and delivery was longer for the weaned group than the non-weaned group. Birth complications were similar for both groups.
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