Prematurity drug found to have 'no benefit'

27 Nov 2008

A drug used to prevent premature birth has been found to be no more effective than a placebo for maintaining pregnancy after initial signs of preterm labour, a new study has shown.

Research conducted by a team of scientists in the US indicated that muscle relaxant Nifedipine has no benefit for premature delivery.

Lead author of the report, Dr Deirdre Lyell, assistant professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Stanford University, said: "Medication use should be minimised in pregnancy unless it's clearly indicated. We all want to prevent preterm birth, but prolonged treatment with Nifedipine doesn't appear to be an answer.

"A small benefit would be especially significant at early gestational ages and less so later on. But overall, there's no benefit to prematurity."

Studies have shown that babies born prematurely are at risk of developing health problems such as respiratory distress, neurological conditions, infection and problems with vision and hearing.

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