• Roger B Newman, Francee Johnson, Anita Das, Robert L Goldenberg, Melissa Swain, Atef Moawad, Baha M Sibai, Steve N Caritis, Menachem Miodovnik, Richard H Paul, Mitchell P Dombrowski, Collins SharpBeth ABA, and Molly Fischer.
• Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical University of South Carolina, 96 Jonathan Lucas Street, Suite 634, P.O. Box 250619, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. newmanr@musc.edu
• J Reprod Med. 2003 Nov 1; 48 (11): 843-9.

ObjectiveTo examine the association between prelabor uterine contraction frequency (UCF) and the success of tocolytic therapy for preterm labor (PTL).Study DesignEleven centers conducted a prospective, observational study of UCF recorded between 22(0/7) and 36(6/7) weeks' gestational age or until delivery > or = 2 times/d on > or = 2 d/wk in women with singleton pregnancies with and without risk factors for preterm birth. Uterine contraction data obtained from patients diagnosed with PTL allowed comparison of mean UCF both before and after an acute episode of PTL treated with either intravenous, subcutaneous or oral tocolysis. The signed rank test was used to analyze differences in UCF before and after tocolytic therapy and between women who were or were not successfully treated with a labor-inhibiting agent.ResultsOf 454 enrolled women, 128 were diagnosed with PTL, and 74 were successfully treated with a labor-inhibiting agent. The mean UCF preceding PTL was not different between those women successfully treated and those who delivered as a consequence of the PTL episode. There was no difference (P = .653) in mean UCF between the week before PTL (UCF 0.60 +/- 0.8, median 0.30) and the first week of monitoring after successful tocolysis (UCF 0.82 +/- 1.4, median 0.27).ConclusionThe mean UCF immediately preceding PTL does not predict tocolytic success or failure.

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