Abstract
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1.
Preterm labor is uterine contractions resulting in progressive cervical change prior to 37 weeks’ gestation. Preterm delivery is delivery prior to 37 weeks’ gestation; low-birth weight infants are those that weigh less than 2500 g at delivery.
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Prior to 34 weeks’ gestation, most patients should be considered for tocolysis; from 34 to 37 weeks’ gestation, such decisions must be made on a case-by-case basis.
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Complications associated with preterm delivery include increased perinatal mortality and complications of prematurity (including respiratory distress, gastrointestinal dysfunction, hemorrhage, and abnormalities of growth and development).
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© 2015 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
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Lyons, P. (2015). Preterm Labor. In: Obstetrics in Family Medicine. Current Clinical Practice. Humana Press, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20077-4_7
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-20077-4_7
Publisher Name: Humana Press, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-20076-7
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-20077-4
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