To Contract Or Not: A Key Question For The Uterine Muscles In Pregnancy
Wednesday, December 10, 2008 - 20:18
in Health & Medicine
During pregnancy, the muscles of the uterus are relatively inactive. A switch to an activated state capable of strong contractions is therefore essential prior to the onset of labor. New research provides insight into the events that prime the uterine muscles for contraction, something the investigators hope might have implications for the development of therapies for preterm labor (i.e., labor before 37 weeks of pregnancy), the most serious complication of pregnancy in developed countries.