European Journal of Cardiovascular Medicine

Objective: The objective of this study is to evaluate the efficacy of administering oral micronized progesterone (OMP) as a prophylactic measure for preventing preterm labour (PTL) in pregnancies deemed to be at high risk. Methods: The current study employed a case-control design and was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. A total of 240 women who had experienced at least one preterm birth were included in the study. These women were administered either 100 mg of OMP twice a day or no medication from the time of recruitment (18-24 weeks) until delivery or 36 weeks of gestation.  Results: The incidence of preterm birth (PTB) was observed to be 58 among the female participants in the OMP group (n= 120), while it was 88 in the control group (n= 120, P = 0.002). The OMP group exhibited a statistically significant increase in the mean gestational age at delivery compared to the control group (36.1 weeks vs 34.0 weeks, P < 0.001). The OMP group exhibited a reduction in preterm births within the gestational age range of 28 to 31 weeks and 6 days (RR 0.20; 95% CI, 0.05–0.73, P < 0.001). The neonatal age at delivery, birth weight, NICU stay, and Apgar scores were found to be more favourable in the OMP group compared to the control group. Additionally, there were fewer instances of neonatal deaths in the OMP group, although this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.190).  Conclusion: OMP was shown to reduce the risk of preterm birth between 28 and 31 weeks plus 6 days, admissions to the NICU, and neonatal morbidity and mortality in patients who were at high risk.