Efficacy of 17α-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate in Preterm Delivery Prevention

Preterm delivery accounts for preterm labor or birth before 37th weeks of gestation that is the cause of two third of prenatal mortality and one of the problems in obstetrics and hormonal factors are reported to be effective. Progesterone is a placental hormone and effective in maintaining pregnancy. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate in preterm delivery prevention.

This interventional clinical trial was performed on 100 pregnant women who referred to obstetrics clinic of Ghaem hospital affiliated to mashhad university of medical sciences during 2007 to 2008. They were randomly divided into two groups of 50 cases and 50 controls. The case group received intramuscular 250 mg 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection weekly at 16th up to 37th week of gestational. In control group, routine prenatal cares was performed and then pregnancy outcomes were compared in two groups. Data was analyzed using student t-test and chi square test by SPSS 11 software.

Mean gestational age was 36 weeks in case group and 32 weeks in control group. Mean birth weight was 2299 grams in case group and 2695 grams in control group. Ggestational age and birth weight had significant difference in two groups (p<0.05).

Weekly administration of 17α-hydroxyprogesterone caproate in pregnant women with history of preterm delivery decrease preterm labor and induced improvement of birth weight.