Undergoing Preterm Labor in an Emergency Room Setting

Dr. Zachary Lutsky obtained his medical degree from Chicago Medical School, where he was a member of the AOA Honors Medical Society. For most of his postgraduate career, Dr. Zachary Lutsky worked as an attending physician in the Cedars-Sinai Level 1 trauma center, where he encountered women in pre-term labor.
When labor begins before the baby’s due date, there can be complications. Preterm deliveries can happen during any pregnancy, but are more common in mothers with certain infections or who are carrying multiple babies. All pregnant women should be familiar with the signs of preterm labor, including five contractions within the span of an hour and unrelenting lower back pain.
If a woman determines she is going into early labor, it is important that she contacts someone to accompany her to provide care and help make necessary arrangements. While on the way to the hospital, the patient should stay calm, lie down, and drink plenty of water.
Women who cannot reach their primary care providers or are fewer than 20 weeks along should head to the emergency room. Preterm labor is often treated with medications that slow contractions and antibiotics that prevent infections caused by a ruptured amniotic sac.
