Prevention of preterm labor.
Ideally, prevention of preterm labor is preferable to efforts to inhibit the process once it has begun. However, before preventive treatment can be properly assessed, there is a need to delineate those patients that could benefit from therapy. Mathematical formulae based on epidemiology data are available to assist in prediction of preterm labor. Although their discriminatory powers are not yet at the level necessary for routine clinical usage, the systems can serve as a basis for attempts to improve the precision of prediction. If the predictive systems can be improved, we would then have a defined population on which preventive measures could be assessed. To date, there is no form of treatment that has been proven to prevent the onset of preterm labor.
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012306:Risk; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors