The validity of cervical dilation as an indication of true labor between 32 and 36 weeks 6 days of gestation.
OBJECTIVE
Cervical dilation with regular contraction traditionally has been used to differentiate between true and false labor. This diagnostic criterion has not been tested as most patients receive tocolytics. Our objective was to determine the time from admission to delivery in women with preterm contractions and advanced cervical dilation without tocolytics.


METHODS
We reviewed the records of patients with preterm labor on the basis of regular contractions and cervical dilation > or = 3 cm between 32 and 36 weeks 6 days of gestation. Chi-square analysis was performed for delivery at > 1 week.


RESULTS
In the records, 68.8% of the patients remained pregnant at > 1 week without tocolysis. Between 32 and 34 weeks of gestation, the use of tocolysis did not help to prolong pregnancy > 1 week (81% vs 88%; alpha = .05; power = 0.65).


CONCLUSIONS
Cervical dilation with preterm contraction cannot be used as an indication of true labor. More accurate methods to diagnose true preterm labor and direct management decisions are needed.
Jain
Sangeeta
S
Division of Maternal Fetal Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX 77555, USA. sajain@utmb.edu
Earhart
Angela
A
Ruddock
Nicole
N
Wen
Tony
T
Hankins
Gary D V
GD
Saade
George R
GR
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D036861:Delivery, Obstetric; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007747:Labor Stage, First / Q000502:physiology*; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011247:Pregnancy; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D015145:Tocolysis / Q000379:methods; D015149:Tocolytic Agents / Q000494:pharmacology
D015149:Tocolytic Agents