Blow to prematurity infection theory
Tuesday December 1st, 2009
Efforts to use antibiotics to prevent premature birth have proved unsuccessful, British researchers reported today.
Doctors
had thought high rates of infection in some poor countries were helping
to trigger early labour.
But a study conducted by Liverpool University, UK, in Southern Malawi has found that the antibiotic azithromycin does not work.
The drug is used to treat some sexually transmitted diseases, including Ureaplasma urealyticum, which was thought to play a significant role in causing pre-term labour.
Some 2,000 pregnant women took part in the research and half received antibiotics.
Substantial numbers of women in both groups gave birth early - suggesting the antibiotics had no effect, according to the findings published in PLoS Medicine.
Researcher Professor Jim Neilson said: "The results suggest that infection may not be the primary cause of preterm labour and other factors must be investigated further.
"We recommend that routine antibiotics should not be given to pregnant women to prevent early births."
Researchers said they would be conducting further analysis to see if they could identify possible causes of prematurity.
Tags: Africa | Childbirth and Pregnancy | UK News | Women’s Health & Gynaecology
Printer friendly page