Early signs and symptoms of preterm labor.
Patient and staff education concerning the subtle signs and symptoms that precede a clinical diagnosis of preterm labor have not been well established. Therefore we interviewed 100 patients for the presence or absence of various symptoms and signs during the 7 days preceding diagnosis of preterm labor. An additional 100 patients without preterm labor matched for gestation were chosen at random as control subjects. A history of increased uterine contractions, menstrual cramps, constant backache, constant pelvic pressure, increased amount and consistency and color change of vaginal discharge, and increased frequency of urination were present with a statistically significant higher frequency in patients with preterm labor compared with controls. Twenty-nine percent of patients did not report any uterine contractions and only half described them as painful. Fewer than 50% of the women reported contractions as frequently as every 10 minutes or more.
Katz
M
M
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California, San Francisco.
Goodyear
K
K
Creasy
R K
RK
D000328:Adult; D001416:Back Pain; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D003085:Colic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007973:Leukorrhea; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D010298:Parity; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014555:Urination Disorders; D014590:Uterine Contraction