Hemodynamic placental insufficiency and its therapeutic modification in threatened premature labor

: The authors are involved in a study in the field of nuclear medicine aimed at further clarifying the connection between premature delivery and placental insufficiency. They are particularly concerned with uteroplacental perfusion at the time when a trend is emerging toward premature birth, and with ways of treating this by exclusive therapy using betamimetics and/or additional maternal oxygen inhalation/additional maternal transcutaneous dorsal nerve stimulation (TNS). The significantly longer half-life periods of activity increase found at the time of hospitalization similar to pregnancies with intra-uterine fetal retardation, as compared with a normal control group, are interpreted as expressing a hemodynamic placental insufficiency and a risk of premature delivery. In contrast to exclusive betamimetic therapy, additional O2 inhalation/additional TNS significantly shorten the half-life period both in short-time and long-time tests. The better therapeutic effect on uteroplacental perfusion in cases of imminent premature delivery which is thus demonstrated can be seen also in an improved respiratory condition of the fetus as shown in a cardiotocogram. From a clinical point of view, the authors call attention to the clearly prolonged pregnancy periods regardless of the duration of gestation, at the time when a trend is emerging toward premature birth, as compared with exclusive betamimetic therapy, the duration of tocolysis/amount of betamimetic applied being the same.