Abstract
Author(s): El Sayed H*, Abdelhamid S, El Helaly A, Fouad M and Aly L
Objectives: To investigate the effect of progesterone given before 32 week gestation to cases of Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PROM) on prolongation the pregnancy and thereafter reduce neonatal morbidities.
Methods: This study was conducted on 112 pregnant women diagnosed with PPROM and admitted to Ain shams university hospital for standard management. They were divided into two groups: the study group was given weekly IM progesterone and the control group which received a placebo therapy to test the effect of progesterone in prolonging the latency period in such cases. The age of recruited cases was between 18-35 years, carrying Singleton pregnancy, at gestational age between 24-34 weeks. The pregnant women were randomly arranged by closed envelop method according to randomization table into two groups, (placebo group and intramuscular progesterone group), 56women in case (control) group & 56 women in (intramuscular progesterone) group. All patients were followed up until delivery. The primary outcome measure is prolongation of the pregnancy until 34.0 weeks of gestation or documentation of fetal lung maturity at 32.0 to 33.9 weeks.
Results: Respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission and neonatal death were statistically non-significant but less frequent among intramuscular group. The present study failed to elucidate an evidence that 17OHP-C is beneficial in women with PROM.
Conclusion: 17-hydroxyprogesterone caproate when given to cases of preterm prelabor rupture of membranes does not show a significant effect of prolongation of latency period in such cases versus placebo.