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 | | Wednesday, 9 January, 2002, 00:01 GMT Units offer premature lifesaver  Premature babies are at risk Half of the UK's neonatal units are now using a new antibiotic treatment which could boost the survival chances of premature babies. When the membrane containing the amniotic fluid surrounding the foetus ruptures - commonly referred to as the "waters breaking", it can mean that labour is imminent. However, when this happens weeks before the baby is due, doctors want to delay birth as long as they possibly can, as even an extra week can vastly improve the baby's chances of developing unscathed. Antibiotic delay A major trial at Leicester University, published in March last year, suggested that the common antibiotic erythromycin could delay the onset of labour, even if the membrane had ruptured. And a survey last month reveals that many neonatal experts around the country have taken heed and are using the drug in their work.
Approximately 9,000 of these are termed as very premature, being born before the 32nd week of pregnancy. It is these babies who are most at risk of life-threatening complications and ongoing developmental difficulties. Even delaying birth by a matter of days can have an impact on the chances of these babies. Massive study Professor David Taylor, from the University's Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, led the Oracle study, which followed more than 11,000 women to see if the antibiotic treatment worked. He told BBC News Online: "The proportion of babies delivered within 48 hours of rupture was substantially fewer in the group given the antibiotics. "So was the proportion of babies delivered within seven days of rupture - 64% without antibiotics and 57% with antibiotics. "We're now continuing the study with 9,000 women to examine outcomes over the next seven years." He said that not only did the antibiotics appear to delay labour, but also seemed to improve the eventual health of the baby, possibly by preventing infections in the newborn baby. Professor Taylor said his team had surveyed every unit dealing with premature deliveries in the UK, and found that approximately half had changed their practice in the light of the study results. "That is much faster than you might expect normally," he said. | | See also:  Internet links: The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Health stories now:  Links to more Health stories are at the foot of the page. | ||||||||||||||||||
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