Review Confirms Progesterone Can Prevent Some Preterm Births

Study, by the National Institutes of Health, found that using a progesterone gel in women with a short cervix cut the rate of early preterm delivery by 45%. Preterm birth is defined as before 37 weeks of pregnancy and early preterm birth as before 33 weeks. Based on these findings, the authors of the review recommend all pregnant women be screened for a short cervix between 19 and 24 weeks into a pregnancy. -Chanmun Jeong