Treatment of the threatening preterm deliveries with ritodrine

In the period from 1993 to 1998 we analyzed all the threatening preterm del iveries from 22 to 36 weeks of gestation which were treated with ritodrine chloride therapy (Pre-Par by Belupo) except for multiple pregnancies and st illbirths. The intravenous therapy was administered in active preterm labou r and oral therapy was given in the prevention of preterm labour. Out of 11 15 pregnant women who were given ritodrine orally, 966 (86.7%) had term del iveries and out of 99 pregnant women who started to be treated with intrave nous therapy 68 (68.7%) had term deliveries. This difference is significant . The incidence of values of Apgar score less than or equal to7 at first and fifth minutes and intracranial hemorrhage was significantly higher in newbo rns whose mothers were given intravenous therapy, while there was no signif icant difference in the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome, infecti ons, early neurological signs and fetal postpartal mortality regarding the way of taking ritodrine.