title: Mechanisms of full-term and preterm labor: factors influencing uterine activity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To review factors influencing uterine activity leading to delivery.
  
  
  METHODS
  A search was conducted on MEDLINE and CINAHL under the terms "preterm labor," "preterm delivery," and "physiology of labor and preterm labor."
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred fifty articles were reviewed, with selection based on physiologic concepts judged to be most relevant to nursing practice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In this review, factors initiating labor and preterm labor (PTL) are identified, along with areas for further research.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite research on what initiates labor, it is unknown how the various mechanisms are integrated. Nurses are in a position to conduct research to help further the understanding of the labor and PTL processes. Nurses can use their assessment skills to help identify women at risk for PTL and delivery.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, School of Nursing, USA.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Ruiz
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007743:Labor, Obstetric / Q000502:physiology*; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000451:nursing / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009773:Obstetric Nursing; D011247:Pregnancy; D014599:Uterus / Q000502:physiology* / Q000503:physiopathology