Preterm Labour

Other Treatment

Until fairly recently, bed rest (expectant management) has been commonly prescribed in an attempt to prevent or stop preterm labour. However, there is no evidence that expectant management effectively stops or prevents preterm labour.¹³ In fact, bed rest increases your risk of other complications. Strict bed rest for 3 days or more increases your risk of developing a blood clot in the legs or lungs (from 1 in 1,000 to 16 in 1,000).¹²

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Author:	Kathe Gallagher, MSW Carrie Henley	Last Updated: April 10, 2007
Medical Review:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine Anne C. Poinier, MD - Internal Medicine Gregory A L Davies, MD, FRCSC, FACOG - Maternal-Fetal Medicine William Gilbert, MD - Perinatology
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