Trends in preterm labor.
Preterm birth has been identified by the National Commission to Prevent Infant Mortality (1988) as the primary cause of the increased infant mortality rate in the United States. An analysis of what is currently known about four areas of preterm labor including (1) definition and causes, (2) identification of patients at risk, (3) management techniques, and (4) use of patient education in labor is presented in this paper. Preterm labor is defined as uterine contractions that occur between 20 and 37 weeks' gestation with progressive cervical dilatation or effacement or both. Directions for future research are discussed.
Graf
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RA
College of Nursing, Rush University, Chicago, Illinois 60612.
Perez-Woods
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R
D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D011247:Pregnancy; D012307:Risk Factors; D015145:Tocolysis; D015149:Tocolytic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*
D015149:Tocolytic Agents