Progesterone Prevents Premature Birth
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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Pregnant women who have had premature births can reduce the risk of a subsequent similar incident due to the introduction of a progestogen - a synthetic substance that "behaves" in the body like a natural hormone progesterone.
This artificial hormone causes physical and metabolic changes in the female body, preparing the body for the bearing of the child. It is called "hormone for pregnancy".
During the study, pregnancy was analyzed in 34 women who had previously had premature births.
Between 1966 and 2011, 20 women from the whole group took the drug. Some received it in the form of injections, others - orally or vaginally.
The work of scientists was conducted under the supervision of the Agency for Health and Quality Research (AHRQ).
As a result of the research, experts noted that the drug is powerless against women with multiple pregnancies - the breeding of twins or triplets ended in premature birth.
"Despite the fact that we know about the increase in the level of the hormone of progesterone in the blood of pregnant women, we can not get to the bottom of the truth and understand why the artificial introduction of its analog does not yield positive results and can not reduce the risks of preterm labor," says professor, co-author research by Francis Likis.
According to statistics, in the United States there is a high incidence of premature birth, and in 2010 the States were on the list of countries with the highest rate of this problem.
Usually, the progestogen is prescribed to pregnant women at the beginning of the second trimester at the 37th week of the gestational period. Most women receive drugs in the form of injections or by vaginal injection, and fewer patients enter it.
Dr. Likis says that to answer the question of whether progestogen helps in general and how, it really can not.
"Women take the drug for various reasons, so we decided to find out exactly which ones, and thus find out its effectiveness. Previous premature birth and multiple pregnancy are two different things, this is connected with the purpose of the drug, as well as the decision that the attending physician takes. They do not just look at a woman and say, "You are in danger," doctors find out the risk factors that can provoke premature births, "says the professor. - Unfortunately, we have very little information about the effect of the drug on the nurturing child and the complications associated with it. To study this problem, you need time and supervision of pregnant women who survived premature birth. "
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