Prevention & Treatment:
Doctors have tried various strategies to help prevent premature delivery, including bedrest, intensive prenatal care for high-risk women, and drug therapy to stop contractions.
Fetal Fibronectin (fFN): A Test for Preterm Delivery
To help predict preterm delivery, some doctors now suggest that women with symptoms of preterm labor be screened for the presence of fetal fibronectin (fFN).
Cervical Insufficiency (Incompetent Cervix) and Cerclage
The phrase “incompetent cervix” refers to a cervix that opens too early, before the baby is full term. This condition is also called cervical insufficiency.
Preventing Premature Birth: Progesterone Treatment (17P)
A form of the hormone progesterone can reduce the risk of preterm birth for some women who have had a premature baby before. The drug is called 17P.
Drugs for Use in Preterm Labor
Two kinds of drugs are given to women in preterm labor. The first helps to stop labor contractions. The second helps the baby's lungs mature before birth.
