title: Progesterone for preventing premature birth: practice patterns of board-certified maternal-fetal medicine specialists in the United States.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the current prescription of progesterone to prevent preterm birth (PTB) among board-certified maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialists in the United States.
  
  
  METHODS
  A survey of the board-certified MFM specialists in the United States examining their prescription of and attitudes regarding progesterone to prevent PTB 6 months following publication of a National Institute for Child Health and Human Development trial.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1,264 questionnaires sent, 526 were returned (response rate, 42%). After exclusions, 522 surveys remained. One hundred ninety-eight (38%) respondents prescribed progesterone, and 324 (62%) did not. Most nonprescribers were awaiting more data and were more concerned than prescribers about long-term effects (p < 0.0001). Twenty percent of prescribers prescribed progesterone for women with current signs or symptoms of preterm labor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  As a result of recent evidence, over one third of MFM specialists surveyed have begun prescribing progesterone to prevent PTB. Of these specialists, 20% are using it for indications other than a prior PTB.
authors.affiliation: Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and Biostatistics Section, Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, 834 Chestnut Street, Suite 400, Philadelphia, PA 19107, USA. amen.ness@jefferson.edu
authors.forename: Amen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ness
authors.forename: Jason
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Baxter
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hyslop
authors.forename: Vincenzo
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Berghella
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D009774:Obstetrics; D010820:Physicians; D011247:Pregnancy; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011367:Professional Staff Committees; D011374:Progesterone / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014481:United States
chemical_list: D011374:Progesterone