The newborns whose mothers had received magnesium sulfate to stop the preterm labor were more likely to be admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit than those whose mothers had received the other drug nifedipine (Procardia).
The researchers at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and Stanford University School of Medicine however warn that none of the currently available treatments for preterm labor are the best.
UPI news quotes Dr. Deirdre Lyell as saying, "There is no free lunch with any of these drugs. But magnesium sulfate has some particularly unpleasant side effects, including vomiting, lethargy and blurry vision."
Other side effects include dyspnea, chest pain, and pulmonary edema, the researchers reported in the July issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
"The alternative treatment, nifedipine, often leaves women feeling better," he added.
However, there were no significant differences in delay of delivery, gestational age at delivery, and neonatal outcomes. Around 87 percent of the women treated with magnesium sulfate delayed labor for at least 48 hours versus 72 percent who were treated to nifedipine arm.
