March 9, 2009 -- A study that shows the use of drugs to delay preterm labor may be harmful challenges the current view that "keeping the baby inside longer must be a good thing", say experts. The opinion appears as an editorial in the latest edition of the British Medical Journal in response to a study that appears in the same edition. According to the Dutch study, preterm labor is the main cause of perinatal illness and death in the developed world. Drugs, known as tocolytics, are used to delay delivery for up to 48 hours. This is primarily to give doctors time to administer steroids to speed up the baby's lung development, transfer the mother to a center with a neonatal intensive care unit, or both. Related Content: In the Dutch study, the researchers assessed the rate of serious maternal complications in 1920 women treated for preterm labor with tocolytic drugs at 28 hospitals in The Netherlands and Belgium. They found the overall incidence of adverse reactions to a tocolytic drug was low. However, they found increased problems when the tocolytics were delivered in a multi-drug regimen. Four women needed intensive care treatment after being subjected to this treatment, which the experts point out has "no proven benefit." The authors of the Dutch study suggest further trials into tocolytic drugs need to be undertaken, but in the meantime recommend that combined treatments be discouraged. Get More NewsSpiders, Scorpions Among World's Oldest CreaturesMany creepy crawlies have been on Earth much longer than previously believed.Blood-Sucking Vampire Bats Sing DuetsWhite-winged vampire bats "harmonize" with separated roost mates.Oldest Hebrew Writing Possibly FoundAncient inscriptions on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard could make history.Rare, Prehistoric-Age Reptile Found in N.Z.A tuatara has been spotted on the New Zealand mainland for the first time in 200 years.Iceman Has No Living RelativesOetzi, the 5,300 year-old frozen mummy, left no living genetic legacy.SLIDE SHOW: Landscapes of TerrorWhat makes a place feel scary? There are scientific explanations.It's Official: People Are Warming the PolesHumans are conclusively to blame for polar warming, say scientists.Eight-Armed Animal Preceded DinosaursWhat may be one of Earth's first animals was no bigger than a coaster and had eight arms.Phoenicians Live on in People's GenesOne in 17 Mediterranean men may be descended from ancient Phoenicians.Pesticides, Fertilizers Linked to Frog DeclineA pesticide is found to promote parasites among amphibians.Hubble Telescope Taking Photos AgainThe Hubble Space Telescope is once again snapping stunning photos of the universe.Andean Mummy Hairs Show Hallucinogen UseScientists find direct evidence of hallucinogenic drug use among ancient Andeans.Opals on Mars Reveal Planet's Long Wet PastOpals found on Mars suggest the planet has been wet for much longer. |
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