Obstetric interventions beneficial to prematurely delivering newborn babies: antenatal corticostetroids, progesterone, magnesium sulfate.

Although improvements in neonatal care have continued to result in reduced mortality and morbidity of prematurely delivering newborns for decades, the results of a myriad of obstetric efforts and interventions have failed to reduce the overall rate of prematurity or prolong pregnancy at any gestational age. A few new developments or refinements of established interventions give increased hope for an improved obstetric contribution to the problem of prematurity. These include a better understanding of how best to use antenatal corticosteroids, and the newer options of magnesium sulfate to ameliorate or avoid cerebral palsy associated with prematurity and maternal progesterone administration to selected at-risk populations to decrease the likelihood of premature delivery.