Treatment of preterm labor with beta-sympathomimetics has been questioned because of the many maternal and fetal complications associated with its use. Nifedipine, a calcium antagonist, has been shown to suppress uterine activity in vitro and in vivo. A randomized prospective study was performed to compare the efficacy of nifedipine to ritodrine in the suppression of preterm labor. Data obtained from 42 women, of which 19 were randomized to the ritodrine group and 23 to the nifedipine group, were analyzed. Ritodrine and nifedipine proved to be equally effective in the suppression of preterm labor. However, the nifedipine group had fewer maternal and fetal complications.
To our knowledge, this is the first report of intrauterine transmission of hepatitis A. The disease presented with fetal ascites and was confirmed by positive fetal blood serology.
Objectives-To examine the eVect of lead on postural control of workers who have been exposed to lead. Methods-63 Male, lead battery workers mean (SD) age 41.0 (7.4) were compared with 48 age matched male controls after excluding those with acute or chronic diseases. Exposed workers had mean (SD) past blood lead concentrations of 37.5 (9.2) µg/dl and 11.2 (5.7) years of employment. Postural control was measured with a computerised postural sway measurement system which measured both sway and total movements. Results-Workers standing straight with eyes open on the bare plates had sway and total movements which were not notably diVerent from controls. On the other hand increased movements were needed in the exposed workers to maintain stability (the general stability quotient 18.2 (5.4) v 15.4 (4.4) in controls, p<0.01) when standing directly on the footplates with closed eyes,, and with the head tilted (15.0 (3.8) v 11.5 (3.0) in controls, p<0.001). Exposed workers also had a trend for less ability to synchronise anterior posterior and lateral sway in the stress positions (0.0625) than had non-exposed workers . Significant but low correlations were found between the estimate of the chronic internal dose of lead and three of 10 of the postural control measurements, and present lead blood concentrations and only one of the 10 measurements and (r values ranged from 0.21 to 0.31, p<0.03). Conclusions-These findings suggest that lead aVects postural control in asymptomatic workers. Further studies are warranted to find whether workers with decreased postural control are at increased risk of accidents and the relation, if any, of these measurements with subsequent morbidity.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.