Pre-term labour
The final stage of pregnancy involves the co-ordination of powerful contractions of the uterus to deliver the baby and placenta successfully. Unfortunately in nearly one in 10 cases, these contractions occur too early in pregnancy and pre-term labour occurs.
Nearly three quarters of admissions to neonatal intensive care units are from babies born prematurely. Pre-term labour is the major obstetric problem influencing short- and long-term health. Its prevention and the treatment of established pre-term labour are inadequate. Rates of pre-term labour have not declined in the last 20 years.
We need to advance our understanding of the physiology of the uterus to improve our diagnosis and treatment of pre-term labour.
To achieve this we need to know:
- The cellular mechanisms which regulate myometrial contractility
- What factors contribute to the onset of pre-term labour?
Further information
Publications
For further details, see: Publications