Premature uterine contractions

Premature uterine contractions

Premature uterine contractions are periodical abdominal pains, similar to labor pains, that can occur during pregnancy and lead to premature labor.
The reasons for premature uterine contractions can be many with the most common being infections, overwork, an injury or even no apparent cause.

The problem arises when these contractions appear before 37 weeks, while after 37, childbirth can take place without fear because the baby is no longer considered premature.

Now with the development of technology and the advancement of neonatology, many babies who are born prematurely do not face significant problems.

Depending on the underlying etiology and the stage of pregnancy, the gynecologist will suggest to the pregnant woman rest, some treatment, admission to the maternity ward for monitoring, or even immediate delivery if necessary.

An important factor in the treatment of threatened preterm labor is tocolysis (stopping the contractions with medication). In this way, we try to prolong the pregnancy and speed up as much as possible the “maturation” of the baby’s lungs in case of birth. This is achieved by administering corticoids to the mother (2 injections of betamethasone within 24 hours).
This reduces as much as possible, which depends on the gestational age, the possibility of the baby’s breathing difficulties in case of premature delivery.

In general, this treatment is given up to 34 weeks. From there on, we consider that the side effects of this treatment do not justify the potential benefits, since the course of newborns with modern neonatology is essentially the same, whether cortisone is administered before delivery or not. Nevertheless, there are exceptions and this treatment can be given even after 34 weeks if the gynecologist deems it necessary.

The mode of delivery is not necessarily caesarean section and is individualized according to gestational age, projection, estimated weight and any other co-existing conditions.