Slattery Michael M, Morrison John J
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, National University of Ireland Galway, Clinical Science Institute, University College Hospital Galway, Galway, Ireland.
Lancet. 2002 Nov 9;360(9344):1489-97. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(02)11476-0.
Preterm delivery and its short-term and long-term sequelae constitute a serious problem in terms of mortality, disability, and cost to society. The incidence of preterm delivery, which has increased in recent years, is associated with various epidemiological and clinical risk factors. Results of randomised controlled trials suggest that attempts to reduce these risk factors by use of drugs are limited by side-effects and poor efficacy. An improved understanding of the physiological pathways that regulate uterine contraction and relaxation in animals and people has, however, helped to define the complex processes that underlie parturition (term and preterm), and has led to new scientific approaches for myometrial modulation. The continuing elucidation of the mechanisms that regulate preterm labour, combined with rigorous clinical assessment, offer hope for future solutions.
早产及其短期和长期后遗症在死亡率、残疾率和社会成本方面构成了一个严重问题。近年来有所增加的早产发生率与多种流行病学和临床风险因素相关。随机对照试验结果表明，通过使用药物来降低这些风险因素的尝试受到副作用和疗效不佳的限制。然而，对调节动物和人类子宫收缩与舒张的生理途径的进一步了解，有助于明确分娩（足月和早产）背后的复杂过程，并催生了调节子宫肌层的新科学方法。对早产机制的持续阐明，再加上严格的临床评估，为未来的解决方案带来了希望。
