The Effect of Prophylactic Vaginal Progesterone after The Arrest of Preterm Birth: A randomized, Controlled Trial

Abstract

P reterm birth refers to a delivery that occurs before 37 weeks of gestation. It may or may not be preceded by preterm birth. Although term pregnancy has been defined as 370/7ths to 416/7ths weeks of gestation, the period 370/7ths to 386/7ths weeks is considered “early term” because neonates born in this gestational age range have higher neonatal morbidity and mortality than infants born at “full term” from 390/7ths to 406/7ths week. By 1969, the WHO realized the confusion created by the term ‘prematurity’ and so revised the definition so that <2500 g was referred to as low birth weight and <37 weeks gestation became known as preterm.