Preterm labor

• What preterm labor?

• Cervical changes and uterine contractions at 20 to 37 weeks

• What Are Risk Factors of Preterm labor?

• Infections of urinary tract or vagina

• Multifetal pregnancy

• smoking/substance use/violence/abuse

• Lack of prenatal care

• AMA

• Low weight

• Uterine abnormalities

• What is the care of preterm labor/

• Instruct women to report any rupture of membranes or pre birth symptoms

• Limit activity

• Side lying

• Report any UC that occur every 10 minutes or less for at least an hour

• Empty bladder

• Stop having sex

• Stop any nipple stimulation

What is a way to check for preterm labor?

• If there is fetal fibronectin in vaginal swab

• Why are steroids used?

• To accelerate fetal lung maturity

• When Are steroids given?

• Between 24 to 34 weeks

• At least 24 hours or less than 7 days before birth

• More than one dose spread out

• What are tocolytics?

• Medications to suppress labor and contraction

• Used short term in order to give time for steroids to increase fetal lung maturity

• Causes many side effects in baby and mother

• What drug is tocolytics?

• Terbutaline (brethine)

• Magnesium sulfate

• What are the side effects of Terbutaline (brethine)

• Tachycardia

• Tremors

• Hypokalemia

• Hyperglycemia