Characteristics of uterine activity in gestations less than 20 weeks.
Publication/Presentation Date
7-1-1990
Abstract
Ambulatory tocodynamometry has been used for some time to record uterine activity during pregnancy. Most studies, however, have been performed in the third trimester (more than 24 weeks). The current study was initiated to assess uterine activity at earlier gestational ages. One hundred thirty-seven patients were studied between 14-19 weeks' gestation (inclusive). Seven patients who were being monitored were noted to have preterm labor, and six of these seven were found to have increased uterine activity before the diagnosis of preterm labor. There was no difficulty encountered in the vast majority of cases in recording objective, accurate uterine activity information even at these early gestational ages. There was an increase in the uterine activity (during the 18th and 19th weeks) in patients destined to develop preterm labor later in gestation as compared with the contraction pattern of those who labored at term. This study demonstrates that accurate uterine activity information can be gained at these early gestational ages and that when increased contraction frequency is present, it is related to preterm labor.
Volume
76
Issue
1 Suppl
First Page
60
Last Page
60
ISSN
0029-7844
Published In/Presented At
Morrison, J. C., Martin, R. W., Johnson, C., & Hess, L. W. (1990). Characteristics of uterine activity in gestations less than 20 weeks. Obstetrics and gynecology, 76(1 Suppl), 60S–62S.
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
2359582
Department(s)
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
Document Type
Article