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A drug often used to stop premature labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies, a U.S. meta-analysis found.


Study author Dr. Sanjiv Amin of the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York said that when a pregnant woman begins giving birth prematurely, she is often given a tocolytic agent, a drug to stop labor, and a steroid to help the baby’s lungs mature faster. After the steriods have been allowed to work, the tocolytic agent is withdrawn and the mother may go into labor, the researcher said.

The meta-analysis, published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, concludes there is an association between use of the tocolytic agent indomethacin and babies experiencing periventricular leukomalacia — white matter injury by decreasing blood flow in the brain, which may lead to cerebral palsy.

The analysis also showed an association between indomethacin and necrotizing entercolitis — a condition in which intestinal tissue dies, which can sometimes can be treated with antibiotics, but can require surgery and even cause death.

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