Contraction inhibitors after 30 weeks have no effect on baby's health, reveals research

The use of tocolytic drugs in cases of threatened premature birth after 30 weeks of pregnancy does not improve the baby's health. This is shown by the largest study concerning the effectiveness of tocolytic drugs on the health of babies, led by Amsterdam UMC, the results of which were published today in The Lancet.

Worldwide, 1 in 10 pregnancies result in premature birth. Children born prematurely face a higher risk of mortality and serious health problems, both in the short and long term. As a results, tocolytic drugs have been used a standard treatment for many years in women who threaten to given birth prematurely, after 24 weeks and before 34 weeks of gestation. The rationale behind their use is that prolonging pregnancy grants the baby with extra time to develop, thereby reducing the risk of health problems.

"Whether prolongation of pregnancy by using tocolytic drugs actually benefits the health of the baby has not been substantiated by research until now," says

Martijn Oudijk, professor of prevention and treatment of premature birth at Amsterdam UMC.

The study, funded by the ZonMw programme Good Use of Medicines, was conducted in twenty-four Dutch hospitals that are part of the Dutch Consortium for Healthcare Evaluation and Research in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, as well as two hospitals in England and Ireland. The study involved 755 women with threatened premature labour (TPL) between 30 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, half of whom received a tocolytic drug, while the other half received a placebo.