What Do Some Physician Manuals
Say About Preterm Labor Drugs?

Here are some quotes on specific topics

On preterm labor drugs in general:

• "The incidence of PTL (preterm labor) has remained 9% of all live births despite such advances as the development and use of tocolytic agents."
  - The John Hopkins Manual of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 1999
  
• "No studies have convincingly demonstrated an improvement in survival or in any index of long-term neonatal outcome with tocolytic therapy."
  - The John Hopkins Manual of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 1999
  
• "Corticosteroid therapy is presently the only treatment shown to improve fetal survival when given to a woman in preterm labor between 24 and 34 weeks of gestation."
  - "Preterm Labor: Diagnosis and Treatment," American Family Physician, May 15, 1998
  

• "No proven benefit is associated with oral terbutaline."
  - The John Hopkins Manual of Gynecology and Obstetrics, 1999
  
• "As previously noted, oral terbutaline, in a dosage of 2.5 to 5.0 mg, can be given every four hours, although a meta-analysis of the literature failed to find significant benefit in oral tocolytic maintenance therapy over observation alone."
  - "Preterm Labor: Diagnosis and Treatment," American Family Physician, May 15, 1998
  

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