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Preterm Labor - Exams and Tests
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
If you have symptoms of preterm labor, both you and your fetus will be examined and monitored.
For the mother
You will be examined for tenderness in your uterus. Your temperature, pulse, and rate of breathing will be checked. Depending on the nature of your symptoms, you may have one or more exams or tests, including:
- A vaginal exam, to find out whether the contractions have begun to open (dilate) or thin (efface) your cervix.
- A vaginal smear, which may be collected to check for:
- Infection. Disease-causing organisms in the vagina can cause uterine infection, triggering preterm labor and serious infection in the newborn.
- Amniotic fluid, which shows that the amniotic sac has broken.
- Fetal fibronectin, which does not tell for sure if you are having preterm labor. When the test is negative, it is unlikely that you are having preterm labor. But even if the test is positive, it does not mean for sure that you are having preterm labor. This test is not useful for actually predicting preterm labor and is not used in all labor and delivery units. It is done before a pelvic exam to reduce the risk of a false-positive result.
Other tests that may be done to check for infection include:
- A complete blood count (CBC), using a blood sample.
- A urine test (urinalysis) and urine culture, using urine samples.
If you have an infection, you may be treated with antibiotics.
For the fetus
- Your fetus's health is checked using electronic fetal heart monitoring, which records fetal heartbeats. Fetal monitoring also checks, records, and times the mother's contractions and shows how the fetus's heart rate reacts to each uterine contraction.
- A fetal ultrasound test may be used to:
- Amniocentesis is sometimes used to take amniotic fluid
from the uterus. This test is most commonly used to test the amniotic fluid
for:
- Signs of infection.
- Substances that show whether the fetus can breathe without assistance, in case of premature birth.
All of this information can help you and your doctor or nurse-midwife decide whether to treat premature labor and delay the birth or allow premature labor to continue and manage any complications that might occur.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: January 10, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | Sarah Marshall, MD - Family Medicine William Gilbert, MD - Maternal and Fetal Medicine | |
© 1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
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