Preterm infant; Preemie; Premie
Prevention
One of the most important steps to preventing prematurity is to receive prenatal care as early as possible in the pregnancy, and to continue such care until the baby is born. Statistics clearly show that early and good prenatal care reduces the chance of premature birth.
Premature labor can sometimes be treated or delayed by a medication that blocks uterine contractions. Many times, however, attempts to delay premature labor are not successful.
Betamethasone (a steroid medication) given to mothers in premature labor can reduce the severity of some of the prematurity complications on the baby.
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Review Date: 01/08/2010
Reviewed By: Kimberly G. Lee, MD, MSC, IBCLC, Associate Professor of Pediatrics,
Division of Neonatology, Medical University of South Carolina,
Charleston, SC. Review Provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also
reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
