PubMed HealthSearch

PubMed · 6949570

"Spurious" labour - does it matter?

Abstract

The obstetrical outcome of 357 pregnancies complicated by "spurious" labour was documented and compared with that in a control group. Patients with spurious labour were more likely to have had a spontaneous or induced abortion in the preceding pregnancy. In almost 85% of patients, the painful uterine contractions had ceased within 1 hour of hospital admission and there was no increased fetal morbidity in this group. There was a significantly increased incidence of meconium-stained liquor in patients who continued to have painful uterine contractions, but in whom labour did not ensue. Placental abnormalities were significantly more common in patients with spurious labour.

Explore related subjects

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

M A Quinn, A J Murphy, J Gallagher. 1981. "Spurious" labour - does it matter?. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1479-828x.1981.tb00911.x

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related citations

Is the 15-in situ clone protocol necessary to detect amniotic fluid mosaicism?

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to evaluate the 15-clone analysis for detecting amniotic fluid mosaicism by the in situ method. STUDY DESIGN: A 10-year review was performed of all amniotic fluid mosaicism cases at two institutions using the in situ method exclusively, with sequential clonal analysis to determine the first and second clone in which the abnormal cell line occurred. RESULTS: Of the 28,497 amniotic fluid samples, 73 met criteria for amniotic fluid mosaicism by in situ method (0.26%). There were 54 cases (0.19%) with potential clinical significance (23 autosome and 31 sex chromosome mosaicism); 49 of the 54 cases (89%) were detected in the first six clones, including 22 of 23 involving autosomes and 27 of 31 involving sex chromosomes. In one of the six cases detected after clone 6 (46,XX/47,XX,+21) the mosaic cell line was present in 20% of the clones analyzed and was followed by a voluntary termination of the pregnancy. In the other five cases amniotic fluid mosaicism was present in < 20% of the clones; these included one case of 46,XX/47,XX+mar (15% amniotic fluid mosaicism, voluntary termination of pregnancy), two cases of 45,X/46,XY (10% to 12% amniotic fluid mosaicism, both normal at birth), and two cases of 45,X/46,XX (8% amniotic fluid mosaicism, lost to follow-up; 12% amniotic fluid mosaicism, voluntary termination of pregnancy). By limiting the analysis to six clones, approximately 20% of analysis time could be saved per case, but one autosomal amniotic fluid mosaicism case per 10,000 samples could potentially be missed. CONCLUSION: Reducing the number of clones analyzed by in situ method could result in increased efficiency, decreased costs, and minimal loss of sensitivity.

Amniotic Fluid

Acute maternal hydration in third-trimester oligohydramnios: effects on amniotic fluid volume, uteroplacental perfusion, and fetal blood flow and urine output.

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to determine whether acute maternal hydration in pregnancies with third-trimester oligohydramnios (1) increases amniotic fluid index and hourly fetal urine production rate and (2) alters uteroplacental perfusion and fetal blood flow. STUDY DESIGN: Ten women with third-trimester oligohydramnios (amniotic fluid index < or = 5 cm) and 10 controls with normal amniotic fluid volume (amniotic fluid index > 7 cm) were prospectively recruited for this study. Maternal plasma and urine osmolality, amniotic fluid index, hourly fetal urine production rate, and Doppler flow velocimetry of maternal uterine artery and fetal umbilical, descending aorta, middle cerebral, and renal arteries were determined before and after oral hydration by having the patient drink 2 L of water over 2 hours. RESULTS: There was a significant reduction in maternal plasma (p < 0.05) and urine osmolality (p < 0.0001) in both groups after short-term oral hydration. Hydration increased amniotic fluid volume in women with oligohydramnios (mean change in amniotic fluid index 3.2 cm, 95% confidence intervals 1.1 to 5.3; p < 0.02) but not in those with normal amniotic fluid volume (mean change in amniotic fluid index -2.0, 95% confidence intervals -4.1 to +0.2). The hourly fetal urine production rate, however, did not increase in either group (mean change in hourly fetal urine production rate 3.5 ml/hr, 95% confidence intervals -11.7 to +18.7 and -6.8 ml/hr, 95% confidence intervals -2.9 to -10.7, respectively). Hydration was associated with an increase in uterine artery mean velocity in the oligohydramnios group (mean change in mean velocity 16.7 cm/sec, 95% confidence intervals 8.0 to 25.3; p < 0.006) but not in controls (mean change in mean velocity 1.2 cm/sec, 95% confidence intervals -19.7 to +22.1). There was no change in pulsatility index or in velocity in any of the fetal vessels studied in either group. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term maternal oral hydration increases the amniotic fluid index in women with third-trimester oligohydramnios. Although the mechanism for this effect remains unclear, it could not be accounted for by fetal urination in this study but instead was associated with improved uteroplacental perfusion.

Amniotic Fluid

Amniotic fluid interleukin-10 concentrations increase through pregnancy and are elevated in patients with preterm labor associated with intrauterine infection.

OBJECTIVE: To better understand the role of the antiinflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 in preterm labor and infection, we evaluated the amniotic fluid interleukin-10 concentrations through pregnancy, in term, and in preterm labor. STUDY DESIGN: Amniotic fluid interleukin-10 levels were measured in 147 women throughout pregnancy including patients in the second trimester, patients at term with and without labor, and in patients in preterm labor with and without an intrauterine infection. We compared the amniotic fluid interleukin-10 concentrations among these five groups using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Amniotic fluid interleukin-10 was detected in 70% to 91% of patients in each of the five study groups. Higher concentrations were found at term compared with the second trimester (p < 0.001) and concentrations were significantly greater in patients with preterm labor and intrauterine infection compared with those patients in preterm labor without infection (p < 0.001), patients at term in labor (p < 0.001), or patients at term not in labor (p < 0.001). When the patients in preterm labor with infection were analyzed by gestational age, those patients at < 30 weeks had significantly higher amniotic fluid concentrations of interleukin-10 (p = 0.014). CONCLUSIONS: Interleukin-10 was present in the amniotic fluid of the majority of pregnancies, with higher concentrations found at term compared with the second trimester. Intrauterine infection was associated with significantly increased concentrations, with even higher concentrations found in the very premature pregnancies. Interleukin-10 has a prominent yet undefined role in pregnancy and preterm labor complicated by intrauterine infection.

Amniotic Fluid