PRETERM BIRTH & PREVENTION
RESOURCES FOR PROVIDERS
Preterm, or premature, birth is the #1 cause of newborn death in Ohio.
Nationally, Ohio ranks near the bottom for Caucasian, African-American, and overall infant mortality in the United States.
Ohio’s prenatal care providers are on the frontlines of reducing infant mortality. With your help, we can reverse this trend. Below are resources you can use to address one of Ohio’s biggest public health challenges.
Doing More to Reduce Preterm Birth
Cervical Length Measurement: A Vital Tool in Reducing Preterm Birth in Ohio
Cervical Length Ultrasound Training Module
Reducing Preterm Birth: Evidence Based Strategies to Improve Outcomes
"Studies of routine screening for short cervix using vaginal ultrasound to identify pregnant women who are eligible for progesterone treatment have shown this to be a cost-effective strategy to reduce preterm birth."
– Jay D. Iams MD, Emeritus Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology at The Ohio State University and OB Lead, OPQC
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Antenatal Corticosteroids
ANCS Toolkit: "Optimizing Antenatal Use of Steroids to Improve Outcomes for Preterm Infants"
Antenatal Corticosteroid Treatment: Improving Outcomes for Preterm Infants (Webinar Slides)
Click Here to Listen
Preterm Birth
March of Dimes "39 Weeks - Healthy Babies Are Worth the Wait"
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and National Child and Maternal Health Education Program (NCMHEP) "Know Your Terms" Resources (available for download and to order)
Scheduled Delivery (pamphlet for patients; also available en Español)
Society for Maternal Fetal Medicine Preterm Birth Toolkit
Progesterone as Prevention of Preterm Birth
Progesterone Supplementation Change Package
Progesterone Administration FAQ
Important Notice from ODM regarding the Makena Prescription Form
Progesterone Coverage Chart (Ohio)
Medicaid Redetermination Information
Preterm Birth & Infant Mortality: The Obstetricians's Responsibility
17 Alpha-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate Fact Sheet
*October 2014: The United States Food & Drug Administration has begun to apply its policy of limiting prescription of compounded medications to provision of 17-alpha-hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) in Ohio. The ASTHO educational flyer was written before these restrictions were made. Ohio clinicians seeking to prescribe progesterone prophylaxis of preterm birth in Ohio may now choose from manufactured 17-OHPC 250 mg given weekly as intramuscular injections, manufactured micronized progesterone 200 mg oral capsules given daily per the vagina, or may contact a home care company (Alere) that provides progestogen medications via home delivery.
Improving Rates of Progesterone Supplementation: Reducing the Risk of Premature Birth (Webinar Slides)
Click Here to Listen
Screening for Short Cervix as Prevention of Preterm Birth
Transvaginal Ultrasound Coverage Chart (Ohio)
Video "Using Transvaginal Ultrasound to Help Prevent Pre-term Birth" from University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
Universal or selective cervical length screening? (article by Dr. Kara B. Markham and Dr. Jay D. Iams)