Tocolytic Drug Use During Pregnancy Has No Impact on a Baby’s Health
Tocolytic drugs used in cases after 30 weeks of pregnancy do not improve the baby’s health, a new study finds.
Complete the form below to unlock access to ALL audio articles.
Want more breaking news?
Subscribe to Technology Networks’ daily newsletter, delivering breaking science news straight to your inbox every day.
Subscribe for FREENo difference whatsoever
The study, funded by the ZonMw programme Good Use of Medicines, was conducted in twenty-four Dutch hospitals that are part of the Dutch Consortium for Healthcare Evaluation and Research in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, as well as two hospitals in England and Ireland. The study involved 755 women with threatened premature labour (TPL) between 30 and 34 weeks of pregnancy, half of whom received a tocolytic drug, while the other half received a placebo.
"This is the largest placebo-controlled study ever performed investigating the effects of tocolytic drugs on the baby’s health. Our results showed no difference whatsoever. There was no benefit but also no harm done," says Amsterdam UMC PhD-student Larissa van der Windt.
High time
According to Oudijk, it is time to reconsider current medical practice: "We have to ask ourselves whether tocolytic drugs should continue to be a standard treatment for TPL after 30 weeks of pregnancy. The purpose of delaying childbirth is to give newborns a better start and improve their health. Premature birth often has a medical cause, such as an infection or problems with the placenta. A prolonged stay in the uterus longer might actually be harmful."
In large hospitals in Canada and Ireland, the use of tocolytic drugs after 30 weeks of pregnancy has already been discontinued. "It is high time that we start working on adjusting guidelines, both in the Netherlands and abroad," says Oudijk.
Reference: van der Windt LI, Klumper J, Duijnhoven RG, et al. Atosiban versus placebo for threatened preterm birth (APOSTEL 8): a multicentre, randomised controlled trial. The Lancet. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(25)00295-8
This article has been republished from the following materials. Note: material may have been edited for length and content. For further information, please contact the cited source. Our press release publishing policy can be accessed here.
