The Effect of Tocolysis by Oral Nefidipine on Doppler Velocimetry of Umbilical, Middle Cerebral Artery and Ductus Venosus

Abstract

Preterm birth, also known as premature birth or delivery, is defined by the World Health Organisation (WHO) as the delivery of babies who are born, alive, before 37 weeks of gestation (WHO, 2012). Preterm birth has a significant morbidity and mortality on the new born. The severity of these effects increases the more premature the delivery is. Approximately, 50% of all perinatal deaths are caused by preterm delivery, with those surviving often suffering from afflictions, caused by the birth (Baker and Kenny, 2011). As antenatal corticosteroids reduce morbidity and mortality (Roberts and Dalziel, 2006), so delaying preterm delivery by tocolytic therapy is an important intervention in obstetrics. Although tocolytics do not improve neonatal outcomes, they can delay preterm delivery long enough to administer antenatal corticosteroids or to transfer the mother to a tertiary care facility (Haas et al., 2009). Although several drugs that inhibit pre-term contractions (tocolytics) are available, the pharmacotherapy of PTB is inappropriate. There is a great need for effective and well-tolerated drugs against PTB as high doses