Efficacy if Progesterone Therapy in the Prevention if Preterm Labour

Abstract

Objective: To determine the efficacy of progesterone therapy in prevention of preterm labour.
Methods: This Experimental Study was designed at Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics
(Unit-II), Lady Willingdon Hospital, Lahore. Non-probability, purposive sampling technique was
used and 100 patients were taken who had singleton pregnancy with previous history of one or 2
preterm delivery or cervical length of <25 mm between 16 to 20 weeks of gestation were included
in the study. The drug was given according to the proposed dosing regimen i.e. weekly
intramuscular injection of 250gm of 17 alpha hydroxyprogesterone caproate beginning at
16weeks 0days to 20weeks 6days gestation and used till 36 weeks 6days gestation and the
patients were followed till delivery to see the efficacy of the drug (as per operational definition)
information was noted on predesigned proforma. The data was analyzed by using SPSS-20
software.
Results: In this study, the mean age of patients presented in active phase of labor was
25.85+3.13 years. The mean gestational age at time of presentation was 19.2+1.13weeks. Out of
the 100 females given progesterone therapy showed that there were 71 (71.0%) females who
delivered after 37 weeks of gestation while 29 (29.0%) females delivered before 37 weeks of
gestation and had gone into preterm delivery. In this study, Progesterone therapy showed efficacy
in 71 (71.0%) females who delivered after 37 weeks of gestation according to the operational
definition of efficacy, while 29 (29.0%) females did not fulfill the operational definition of efficacy
and delivered before 37 weeks of gestation.
Conclusion: Through this study, we come to know that progesterone therapy is effective in
prevention of preterm labor.