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Article: Explanation for premature and delayed labor. (oxytocin hormone reactions)
- Article from:
- Science News
- Article date:
- June 13, 1992
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1992 Science Service, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Untimely spurts of the hormone oxytocin may be to blame for premature labor, according to a study of pregnant rats. Similarly, delayed release of the hormone may postpone labor beyond the healthiest time to deliver, the study suggests.
These findings could lead to the development of drugs to prevent premature labor by blocking the action of oxytocin in the uterus. Prematurity is a major cause of death among newborns, because early uterine contractions often expel a fetus before its lungs and other vital organs have matured. Similarly, a delay in labor can cause suffocation as the fetus outgrows the placenta's oxygen-bearing capabilities. Delayed labor can also ...