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Strengthen the Evidence for Maternal and Child Health Programs

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Displaying records 1 through 1 (1 total).

Main D. 1989. Cohort Study of Uterine Contractions in Black Women [Final report]. San Francisco, CA: University of Pennsylvania, 40 pp.

Annotation: Preterm labor or preterm rupture of the membranes accounts for most of the premature births of inner-city black infants. It is widely thought that increased baseline uterine activity may predispose women to both these conditions. However, very little information has been available about contraction frequency, intensity, and duration during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy prior to onset of labor. The overall objectives of this study were to describe uterine activity in inner-city black women during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and to assess the effects of physical activity, smoking, and other maternal factors on contraction characteristics. Background information defining the limits of normal prelabor contractions in ambulatory, low-risk women was obtained in this study. Maternal age, parity, smoking, and physical activity level estimated by caloric expenditure or composite index based on diary information had no significant effect on uterine contraction characteristics. However, gestational age, maternal weight, time of day, and selected physical activities were shown to impact on contraction frequency. [Funded by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau]

Keywords: Blacks, Pregnant Women, Premature Labor, Prematurity, Uterine Conditions
   

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