Preterm labour is a fairly common complication of pregnancy where a mother starts to go into labour too early. A normal pregnancy lasts for 40 weeks, and 37 weeks is considered “at-term.” Therefore, if you start to go into labour prior to the 37-week mark, it is considered preterm.
Preterm labour is dangerous because it could result in giving birth to an underdeveloped child. There is a higher possibility that they will have developmental or physical disabilities when this happens. The goal of preterm labour treatment is to stop the labour so that your baby has more time to develop. To do this, your doctor will use medications, home remedies, and even surgery to treat and prevent preterm labour.
Depending on how early your preterm labour begins, it will be vital to keep the labour from proceeding. To do this, your doctor will use a combination of medications.
The first course of treatment for preterm labour is to administer tocolytics. Tocolytics, such as calcium channel blockers and NSAIDs, are given to temporarily stop the labour process. In most cases, this delay is only for a few days, but it gives your doctor enough time to come up with a solid course of treatment.
In most cases, following tocolytics, you will be transferred to your hospital’s neonatal intensive care unit for further treatment. Tocolytics are usually given if you are less than 34 weeks pregnant.
If your doctor sees that preterm delivery is inevitable, they will give you corticosteroids. Corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone and betamethasone, help your unborn child’s lungs develop. This gives them a better chance of surviving a preterm birth with minimal risks, and they are typically given if you are between 24 and 34 weeks pregnant.
Babies that are born prematurely have a higher risk of developing cerebral palsy or brain damage. To prevent this, you may be given magnesium sulphate through an IV infusion. Magnesium sulphate is similar to tocolytics as it temporarily slows the labour process, it is an option if you are between 24 and 32 weeks pregnant.
In some cases, preterm labour happens as a result of an infection. Therefore, your doctor will perform tests to see if you have an infection and prescribe antibiotics to combat it. These antibiotics, which include metronidazole and ceftriaxone, can cure your infection and stop preterm labour that is happening as a result of it.
While medications are the only way to stop preterm labour temporarily and help your baby develop, they have unwanted side effects.
There is also a surgical procedure that your doctor can do if they think you are at risk of going into preterm labour. This procedure is known as a surgical cerclage where your doctor will close the cervix with sutures to prevent the cervix from opening for labour. The sutures are then removed around week 36 or earlier if necessary.
If you go into preterm labour, there is no way to stop the course of your birth long-term. However, with medications and treatments, you can stop labour long enough to give your foetus time to develop and grow stronger. You will also have time to get transferred to a neonatal intensive care unit, which is more equipped to deal with preterm and high-risk labour and delivery.