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Using tocolytic medication in circumstances of threatened untimely start after 30 weeks of being pregnant doesn’t enhance the infant’s well being. That is proven by the biggest research in regards to the effectiveness of tocolytic medication on the well being of infants, led by Amsterdam UMC, the outcomes of which had been printed in The Lancet.
Worldwide, one in 10 pregnancies lead to untimely start. Kids born prematurely face the next danger of mortality and severe well being issues, each within the quick and long run. Consequently, tocolytic medication have been used as a regular therapy for a few years in ladies who threaten to provide start prematurely, after 24 weeks and earlier than 34 weeks of gestation.
The rationale behind their use is that prolonging being pregnant grants the infant with additional time to develop, thereby lowering the chance of well being issues.
“Whether prolongation of pregnancy by using tocolytic drugs actually benefits the health of the baby has not been substantiated by research until now,” says Martijn Oudijk, professor of prevention and therapy of untimely start at Amsterdam UMC.
The research was performed in 24 Dutch hospitals which might be a part of the Dutch Consortium for Well being care Analysis and Analysis in Obstetrics and Gynecology, in addition to two hospitals in England and Eire. The research concerned 755 ladies with threatened untimely labor (TPL) between 30 and 34 weeks of being pregnant, half of whom acquired a tocolytic drug, whereas the opposite half acquired a placebo.
“This is the largest placebo-controlled study ever performed investigating the effects of tocolytic drugs on the baby’s health. Our results showed no difference whatsoever. There was no benefit but also no harm done,” says Amsterdam UMC Ph.D. pupil, Larissa van der Windt.
In line with Oudijk, it’s time to rethink present medical apply: “We have to ask ourselves whether tocolytic drugs should continue to be a standard treatment for TPL after 30 weeks of pregnancy. The purpose of delaying childbirth is to give newborns a better start and improve their health. Premature birth often has a medical cause, such as an infection or problems with the placenta. A prolonged stay in the uterus longer might actually be harmful.”
In massive hospitals in Canada and Eire, the usage of tocolytic medication after 30 weeks of being pregnant has already been discontinued. “It is high time that we start working on adjusting guidelines, both in the Netherlands and abroad,” says Oudijk.
Extra info:
Atosiban versus placebo for threatened preterm start (APOSTEL 8): a multicentre, randomised-controlled trial, The Lancet (2025).
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Amsterdam College Medical Facilities
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Contraction inhibitors after 30 weeks haven’t any impact on child’s well being, research reveals (2025, March 3)
retrieved 3 March 2025
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