[Effectiveness of clinical action in treatment of premature birth problems (author's transl)].

The effectiveness of clinical action on a general premature birth situation was studied against the background of 21, 244 childbirths (twins and stillbirths included), in the District of Erfurt, between 1974 and 1979. Clinical attention was considerably stepped up in all cases of imminent premature birth. Steps taken included hospitalisation, sedation, medicamentous tocolysis, cerclage, maturity induction, and organisational measures. Many more people than ever before were called in for action. Yet, no significant change was achieved, neither in terms of the absolute premature birth rate nor in restricting such problems to higher age or weight groups. -- Sizable reduction of perinatal mortality in the period under review was in no way related to measures to reduce the premature birth rate, but it was rather attributable to improvement in prenatal and intranatal diagnosis and in postnatal care. -- The conclusion is that action outside hospital should be intensified.