Tag Archives: preterm birth
New Study IDs Premature Birth Risks
Researchers in Australia have identified several factors that may put pregnant women at risk of a premature birth. According to the study led by Gustaaf Dekker, MD, Ph.D at the University of Adelaide, women may give birth early if they: Smoke marijuana Have a history of vaginal bleeding Have mothers with a history of pre-eclampsia Have mothers with diabetes Have high blood pressure Are very thin (body mass index under 20) Have a family history of babies with low birth weights Have a short cervix “Better understanding the risk factors involved in preterm birth moves us another step forward in potentially developing a test – genetic or otherwise – that will help us to predict with greater accuracy the risk of preterm birth,” Dekker said. “Our ultimate aim is to safeguard the lives of babies and their health in the longer term.” Dekker studied 3,234 women, and nearly 5 percent…
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Posted in Birth Trauma, Cerebral Palsy Tagged birth injury, cerebral palsy lawyers, cerebral palsy risk factors, premature birth, preterm birth, traumatic birth Comments Off on New Study IDs Premature Birth Risks
Progesterone Gel May Prevent Preterm Birth
According to MSNBC, a simple treatment help prevent preterm births by nearly half. A late-stage study of the vaginal gel made by Columbia Laboratories Inc and Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc found hope in preventing premature birth in women with a short cervix. Treating pregnant women participants with the hormone progesterone cut their rate of premature delivery by 45 percent, the researchers said. The study published in the journal Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology will be used to support the companies’ application for marketing approval of the hormone gel. The gel is known by the brand Prochieve. In the study, researchers at the National Institutes of Health and 44 medical centers around the world looked at effects of giving progesterone to women with a short cervix. Researchers suspect that women with a short cervix do not have enough of the hormone, and giving it during pregnancies helps prolong the gestational period. The…
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Posted in Premature Birth Tagged cervix, gel, hormone, premature birth, preterm birth, prevention, Prochieve, progesterone, short cervix Comments Off on Progesterone Gel May Prevent Preterm Birth
Makena Drug Prices May Increase Premature Births
According to MSNBC, a drug preventing preterm labor is about to have a major price change that could negatively impact pregnant women at risk of going into labor too early. KV Pharmaceutical received government approval to be an exclusive seller of the drug Makena. The change prompted the company to skyrocket the price, from $10 per injection to $1500 per injection. Pregnant women at risk of preterm labor may start the drug early in the pregnancy, which means the total cost during a pregnancy could be as much as $30,000 for Makena shots. The March of Dimes and many medical experts supported KV Pharmaceuticals attempts at getting exclusive government approval. The groups believed it would help with quality and availability of the medication. However, no one suspected that such a major price change would take effect. Some medical experts and patient-safety advocates fear this drastic new price will have a…
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Posted in Premature Birth Tagged cost, drugs, Makena, medicine, preemie, preterm birth, preterm labor, price Comments Off on Makena Drug Prices May Increase Premature Births
