The objective of this study was to identify possible changes in mRNA and protein expression of high-mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) and its suggested receptors - receptor for advanced glycation end-products (RAGE) and Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) and TLR4 - in human cervix during pregnancy, term and preterm labor. Cervical biopsies were taken from 58 women: 20 at preterm labor, 24 at term l...

METHOD(S) : In this prospective cohort study conducted over a 8 months period (January to August 2005) 416 antenatal women admitted with threatened preterm labor and in preterm labor, with or without rupture of membranes, were recruited. They were followed up from admission till delivery and discharge. Gestational age at onset of preterm labor, associated risk factors, response to tocolytics if...

INTRODUCTION Premature labor is a serious worldwide problem that can cause neonatal death and other serious disorders. This study aimed to determine the most important factors related to preterm labor in Yasuj, Iran. METHOD This case-control study was conducted in the maternity ward of Imam Sajjad Hospital, the obstetrics and gynecology center of Yasuj, in 2010. Among eligible samples, mother...

Eating habits constitute a very important component of healthy lifestyle. Diversity of food products consumed by the mother has a great influence, through the amniotic fluid, on early formation of eating habits in the child and this phenomenon has been defined as “the first nutrition bridge“. The aim of the work was an attempt to assess nutritional behaviors of women giving birth prematurely, a...

The goal of this study is to compare the efficacy of natural vaginal progesterone with that of oral nifedipine in treatment of threatened preterm labor.150 women, with singleton pregnancy and threatened preterm labor between 28 to 36 weeks of gestation, were randomly grouped into two, 75 in each group. Group 1: pregnant females who used natural progesterone 200mg twice daily inserted vaginally ...

BACKGROUND Threatened preterm labor is a leading cause of hospital admission during pregnancy. Patients with an episode of threatened preterm labor who deliver at term are considered to have false preterm labor. However, threatened preterm labor has been proposed as a pathologic insult that is not always sufficient to induce irreversible spontaneous preterm birth but that could alter the normal...

BACKGROUND To investigate the utility of vaginal placental alpha microglobulin-1 (PAMG-1) protein as a predictor of preterm delivery within 7 days in pregnancies at risk of premature birth. METHODS This prospective study was performed in women at risk of premature birth. The levels of vaginal PAMG-1 and foetal fibronectin (fFN) and the transvaginal cervical length measurement (CLM) were inves...

Background. Accurate timing of antenatal corticosteroids (ACS) has resulted in improved neonatal outcomes. Objectives. Our primary objective was to determine predictors for optimal timing of ACS in women presenting with spontaneous preterm labor. Study Design. A retrospective cohort study of women receiving ACS for spontaneous preterm birth was conducted. Women were included if they presented w...

Objective. To examine the reliability of human placental alkaline phosphatase (hPlAP) in the mother’s serum as a marker of premature labour among pregnant �omen �ho had no kno�n risks for premature labour and to determine the critical value of hPlAP in pregnancies �hich ended up as a premature labour. Patients and Methods. The research �as conducted in the form of a prospective study of 200 pre...

BACKGROUND Premature labor is a poorly understood condition. Estrogen is thought to play a key role and therefore the labor process may be affected by endocrine disruptors. We sought to determine whether or not an environmental toxicant, DDE, or dietary derived endocrine disruptors, daidzein and genistein, are associated with spontaneous preterm labor. METHODS Cases were defined as primiparou...