Active clinical trials for "Obstetric Labor, Premature"

The purpose of this study is to determine if the use of 250 mg of intramuscular progesterone biweekly can reduce the incidence of preterm labor in patients with an episode of threatened preterm labor during the current pregnancy.

Magnesium is a known treatment for neuroprotection in preterm labor before 32 week of gestation. High concentration of Magnesium in the blood stream known as cause of conduction abnormalities and ECG changes such us prolonged QT, QRS and PR in about. The goal of our work is to evaluate the PR intervals in embryos after maternal treatment with magnesium during preterm labor.

We have designed new electromyography sensors for measuring uterine activity. These sensors are directional - they preferentially report uterine muscle contractions at specific locations, called regions. By measuring the synchronization of the regions of the uterus during contractions we intend to non-invasively determine if any patient is in-labor or not-in-labor. Accurately diagnosing true preterm labor allows timely intervention to avoid preterm birth; Accurately diagnosing false preterm labor avoids needlessly treating patients who would not benefit.

Working hypothesis and aims: To investigate the association between cervical length in non-pregnant women, and the risk of premature birth. The participants will be recruited from the HaEmek Medical Center delivery room registration. Women delivered between 24-37 pregnancy weeks will be allocated to the study group. The investigators will invite them 3 month or more after delivery to ultrasound examination of the cervical length. The participants in the control group will be the women whom term delivery follows by chronological manner to those in study group. Data of the cervucal length will be collected at the time of the examination.

Research question: Population of study: women diagnosed as term pregnancy in labor (control) and the other group diagnosed as preterm labor (cases). Intervention: measuring uterine natural killer cells . Outcome: uterine natural killer cells has a role in initiation of preterm labor. Research hypothesis: • Are uterine Natural Killer cells involved in the initiation of preterm labor ? Medical Application: • Possibility of prediction of preterm labor by assessment of Natural killer cells as well as preventing preterm labor by suppressing their activity .

The purpose of this study is to better understand (1) if phospholipase A2 producing microorganisms and cytokines (IL-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, and IL-13) are associated with premature labor (2) if pregnant teens are more likely to have phospholipase A2 producing bacteria than a pregnant adults and (3) if there is a difference in the cytokines between pregnant teens and adults.We hypothesize that phospholipase producing microorganisms may trigger the onset of premature labor. The following are hypothesized: (a) The microorganism cultured should show high activities of phospholipase A2 (b) The cervical length measurement predictive value should correspond to the gestation age at term (c) Vaginal flora of teen will be more susceptible to colonization with higher phospholipase A2 producing bacteria than that of an adult (d) The maternal genotype contribution to the concentration of IL-1, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13, and TNF-alpha during the first trimester of pregnancy in teens is different in the production of inflammatory cytokines and modulators(e) The maternal genotype of teens therefore influences the production of phospholipase A2 and causes an increase in preterm delivery.

A major goal of modern perinatal and neonatal medicine is to reduce the rate of developmental disabilities, especially mental retardation. Cerebral palsy is frequently associated with neurologic abnormalities and mental retardation. Improvements in neonatal intensive care have resulted in improved survival of very low birthweight infants but also in an increased frequency of cerebral palsy. Prematurity is a leading risk factor for cerebral palsy. Two thirds of preterm neonates are born to mothers with preterm labor with intact membranes or preterm premature rupture of membranes. A growing body of evidence suggests that these conditions are heterogeneous. This is an observational cohort study designed to identify the mechanisms of disease in patients with preterm labor/contractions and preterm premature rupture of membranes and to describe the relationship between clinical, biochemical, histological, biophysical parameters and the development of infant neurological disorders.

Our objective is to investigate the predictive value of a panel of biomarkers associated with two biologically plausible pathways of preterm birth: membrane breakdown and cervical remodeling. The investigators will obtain cervical length, cervicovaginal fetal fibronectin, and a panel of novel cervicovaginal biomarkers associated with cervical remodeling in a prospective cohort of symptomatic women with a singleton pregnancy at high risk for preterm birth in an effort to better risk stratify this cohort.

In primigravida, Delayed engagement of fetal head has been theorized that it is more likely in women with a possible cephalo-pelvic disproportion, so far they are associated with higher risk of cervical dystocia, which led to increased rate of caesarean section.

The aim of this project is to establish a clinical database and a bank of biological materials which will be used to improve the pathophysiologic understanding of the mechanisms underlying various pregnancy diseases. The US-Mexico Reproductive Health Research Development Workshop, sponsored by the NIH, recommended that the setting up of "tissue, blood, and placental banks from human and relevant animal models should be developed to aid in understanding how prenatal conditions relate to pathological consequences in adult life". A large observational study in the United States of America, the National Collaborative Perinatal Project (NCPP), was conducted over 30 years ago (1959-1966) and has yielded a large amount of useful information. However standards of obstetrical and neonatal care have changed significantly over the last 30 years. Thus the setting up of a contemporary clinical perinatal database and bank of biological materials is required. In order to obtain sufficient data for statistical analysis a large sample size is necessary. We propose to carry out this project at Sotero del Rio Hospital, Santiago Chile as this hospital has a delivery rate of approximately 14,000 women per year. Previous research collaborative efforts between the Sotero del Rio Hospital and the PRB have been carried out in compliance with NIH research regulations. Sotero del Rio Hospital has had previous successful negotiations of Single Project Assurances (SPA) with the NIH. Information will be collected from clinical history taking, physical examination, sonographic examination and standard laboratory procedures. The bank of biological fluids and tissues will include maternal blood, umbilical cord plasma, amniotic fluid, maternal urine and placental tissue. No procedures will be carried out on patients that are not part of standard of care at Sotero del Rio Hospital.