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Prevention of preterm birth

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  10 October 2008

T Kurki  and
O Ylikorkala
T Kurki*
Affiliation:
II Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Central Hospital of Helsinki, Finland
O Ylikorkala
Affiliation:
II Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Central Hospital of Helsinki, Finland
*
Tapio Kurki, II Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University Central Hospital of Helsinki, Haartmaninkatu 2, SF 00290 Helsinki, Finland
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Extract

For an infant without lethal congenital malformations there is no risk greater than to be born too early. In addition, preterm birth with its many consequences may compromise the life of the whole family. Thus, prevention of preterm birth is one of the greatest challenges in obstetrics. However, this has proven to be difficult. This difficulty is in part due to the fact that, although we know a large number of clinical factors which are know a large number of clinical factors which are associated with preterm birth, the final mechanisms triggering the onset of preterm contractions or premature rupture of the fetal membranes (PROM) have remained largely unclear. We review the prevention of preterm birth in the light of the newest data; an interested reader is also referred to other recent overviews on the same topic.

Type
Articles
Information
Fetal and Maternal Medicine Review , Volume 5 , Issue 4 , November 1993 , pp. 191 - 202
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1993

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