From the Research
Preterm labour is a critical condition in obstetrics that requires early prediction and intervention to prevent neonatal morbidity and mortality, and its prediction is crucial due to its association with significant perinatal complications, as highlighted in the most recent study 1. Preterm labour is the onset of regular uterine contractions leading to cervical changes before 37 weeks of pregnancy, resulting in early delivery. Its significance in obstetrics stems from being a leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, with complications including respiratory distress syndrome, intraventricular hemorrhage, necrotizing enterocolitis, and long-term neurodevelopmental issues, as noted in 2 and further emphasized in 1. The prediction of preterm labour is important because early identification of women at risk allows for interventions that may delay delivery, such as administering corticosteroids to accelerate fetal lung maturity, magnesium sulfate for neuroprotection, and tocolytics like nifedipine to temporarily halt contractions, as discussed in 1. Some key points about preterm labour include:
- It is a complex condition with multiple pathologic processes, as summarized in 3.
- The prevention and treatment of preterm labour have been long-standing challenges, with recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of disease, as reviewed in 1.
- Risk assessment typically includes evaluating maternal history, measuring cervical length via transvaginal ultrasound, and testing for fetal fibronectin in cervicovaginal secretions, as mentioned in 1.
- The biological basis for preterm labour involves complex pathways including inflammation, infection, uterine overdistension, decidual hemorrhage, and maternal-fetal stress, which prematurely activate the normal labour process through prostaglandin and cytokine cascades, as explained in 2 and 3.