Reducing premature births with vaginal gel
Source: Agencies |
April 7, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
A SIMPLE treatment - a hormone-containing vaginal gel - significantly reduces premature births among pregnant women who are at high risk because of a problem with the cervix, United States government researchers reported yesterday.
Many factors can lead to premature birth, but yesterday's study targets one subset: the thousands of American women who develop an unusually shortened cervix, the gateway to the uterus. The findings may prompt more doctors to begin routinely measuring cervical length, using an easy and fairly inexpensive ultrasound scan, midway through pregnancy.
"There will never be 'the' solution to preterm birth," cautions lead researcher Dr Roberto Romero of the National Institutes of Health. "There will be multiple solutions, and we believe this is one important solution."
This treatment is not related to an injection called Makena, a synthetic hormone that is controversial because of its high price tag. That drug is aimed at women who've already had one preemie and now are pregnant again.
But women may have a short cervix during any pregnancy, and the question was whether applying a gel form of natural progesterone - known as Prochieve - directly onto the problem area could stave off an early delivery.
It worked, cutting by nearly half the rate of particularly early preterm births, those before 33 weeks of gestation who are at particular risk for death or long-term health problems, concluded Romero, who led the study at 44 medical centers around the world.
The study was a collaboration between the NIH and Prochieve maker Columbia Laboratories Inc. Although the company didn't address price, vaginal progesterone already is sold to treat different conditions, for roughly US$20 for a day's dose.
Many factors can lead to premature birth, but yesterday's study targets one subset: the thousands of American women who develop an unusually shortened cervix, the gateway to the uterus. The findings may prompt more doctors to begin routinely measuring cervical length, using an easy and fairly inexpensive ultrasound scan, midway through pregnancy.
"There will never be 'the' solution to preterm birth," cautions lead researcher Dr Roberto Romero of the National Institutes of Health. "There will be multiple solutions, and we believe this is one important solution."
This treatment is not related to an injection called Makena, a synthetic hormone that is controversial because of its high price tag. That drug is aimed at women who've already had one preemie and now are pregnant again.
But women may have a short cervix during any pregnancy, and the question was whether applying a gel form of natural progesterone - known as Prochieve - directly onto the problem area could stave off an early delivery.
It worked, cutting by nearly half the rate of particularly early preterm births, those before 33 weeks of gestation who are at particular risk for death or long-term health problems, concluded Romero, who led the study at 44 medical centers around the world.
The study was a collaboration between the NIH and Prochieve maker Columbia Laboratories Inc. Although the company didn't address price, vaginal progesterone already is sold to treat different conditions, for roughly US$20 for a day's dose.
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