Decrease in the mortality rates for low-birth-weight infants after phenobarbitone treatment.
A daily dosage of 100 mg phenobarbitone administered orally to pregnant women for three days or more immediately before delivery has reduced the various mortality rates for low-birth-weight infants by 50% or more. Since it is hardly possible to treat all pregnant women in this way it is recommended to administer phenobarbitone to women with high-risk pregnancies such as former stillborn infant, former premature delivery, pregnancy complications, and planned induction of premature labour before the 37th week and until delivery takes place. If the mothers of low-birth-weight infants have not been adequately treated it is recommended that the newborn infant be given phenobarbitone injections immediately after birth and at 8-hour intervals, 10 injections in all.
D001724:Birth Weight; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007226:Infant Mortality; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D010634:Phenobarbital / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications
D010634:Phenobarbital