Skip to main content

Preterm Labor

Bindusri Paruchuri, MD Reviewed 04/2024
 


BASICS

Preterm birth is defined as birth between 20+0 weeks to 36+6 weeks' gestation 

DESCRIPTION

Regular contractions occurring between 20 weeks to 36 weeks and 6 days with either a change in effacemen...

DIAGNOSIS

  • Diagnosis is generally based on a combination of significant cervical changes (such as dilation, effacement) with regular contractions. However, there is no single test that will reliably di...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

Treat underlying risk factors. Hospitalization is necessary if the patient needs IV tocolysis. 

MEDICATION

Tocolysis may allow time for interventions such as transfer to tertia...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Patient Monitoring

  • Weekly office visits with contraction monitoring, cervical checks, or cervical US if at high risk for recurrence

  • Routine use of maintenance tocol...

REFERENCES

1
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Prediction and Prevention of Spontaneous Preterm Birth: ACOG Practice Bulletin, Number 234. Obstet Gynecol. 2021;138(2):e65-e90.
2
Americ...

CODES

ICD10

  • O60.03 Preterm labor without delivery, third trimester

  • O60.0 Preterm labor without delivery

  • O60.02 Preterm labor without delivery, second trimester

  • Z87.51 Personal history of pre-term labor

  • O60...

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Treatment of preterm labor/tocolysis may delay delivery to facilitate short-term interventions such as administration of corticosteroids, which improve neonatal outcomes.

  • Magnesium sulf...

Subscribe to Access Full Content

Sign Up for a 10-Day Free Trial

Sign up for a 10-day FREE Trial now and receive full access to all content.

×