OBJECTIVES This study was done to compare isoxpurine hydrochloride and nifedipine as tocolytic drugs for preterm labor. METHODS A prospective cohort study of 832 antenatal women with preterm labor was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology. Out of 400 women found eligible for tocolysis, 200 were given isoxpurine hydrochloride while the other 200 were given nifedipine randomly....

PURPOSE To evaluate the proportional changes of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs) in maternal peripheral blood during pregnancy and labor at term and preterm. METHODS Peripheral blood was collected from 20 non-pregnant controls and 139 pregnant women (60 at different gestational ages, 48 at term with or without labor, and 31 in threatened or actual preterm labor). CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tre...

Background: Preterm birth is the major cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity. In developing countries, it’s a major health hazard. But there are very few evidence based interventions to prevent it. This study focus on prevention of preterm birth. Methods: A randomized controlled trial was undertaken in BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences, where 60 patients were randomized into group 1 (...

Presently, there is no effective treatment for preterm labor. The most obvious reason for this anomaly is that there is no objective manner to evaluate the progression of pregnancy through steps leading to labor, either at term or preterm. Several techniques have been adopted to monitor labor, and/or to diagnose labor, but they are either subjective or indirect, and they do not provide an accur...

PROBLEM Preterm neonates are highly susceptible to infection. Neonatal host defense against infection seems to be maintained by the temporal presence of immunosuppressive CD71+ erythroid cells. The aim of this study was to investigate whether umbilical cord CD71+ erythroid cells are reduced in neonates born to women who undergo spontaneous preterm labor/birth. METHOD OF STUDY Umbilical cord b...

The objective of this study was to identify group B streptococcus (GBS) colonization rates and compare detection efficiency of selective versus non-selective culture media and anorectal versus vaginal cultures in women with preterm labor and preterm-premature rupture of membranes (PROM). A prospective cohort study of 203 women was performed. Two vaginal and two anorectal samples from each woman...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Pregnancy complications hypothesized to be related to vitamin D include preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, low birth weight, preterm delivery, Cesarean section and infectious disease. There have been a few studies which have demonstrated maternal serum vitamin D to be associated with preterm labor. The objective was to evaluate the serum vitamin D concentrations in Th...

Objective: Preterm labor is defined as labor prior to 37 weeks of gestation. There are no FDA approved drugs available to treat spontaneous preterm labor. Uterine smooth muscle is unique in that it relaxes in a cGMPindependent manner in the presence of nitric oxide (NO). However, NO-mediated relaxation in tissues from mothers who deliver preterm is blunted. S-nitrosation of cysteines via NO act...