Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2009 Jun;113(6):1341-1348.
doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181a71551.

In defense of magnesium sulfate

John P Elliott  1 , David F Lewis, John C Morrison, Thomas J Garite
Affiliations
Review

In defense of magnesium sulfate

John P Elliott et al. Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Jun.

Abstract

Magnesium sulfate has been used by obstetricians for more than 25 years to treat preterm labor. Magnesium sulfate is effective in delaying delivery for at least 48 hours in patients with preterm labor when used in higher dosages. There do not seem to be any harmful effects of the drug on the fetus, and indeed there is a neuroprotective effect in reducing the incidence of cerebral palsy in premature newborns weighing less than 1,500 g.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Evidence-based medicine under attack.
    Scott JR. Scott JR. Obstet Gynecol. 2009 Jun;113(6):1202-1203. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e3181a72842. Obstet Gynecol. 2009. PMID: 19461412 No abstract available.

Comment on

References

    1. Grimes DA, Nanda K. Magnesium sulfate tocolysis time to quit. Obstet Gynecol 2006;108:986–9.
    1. Steer CM, Petrie RH. A comparison of magnesium sulfate and alcohol for the prevention of premature labor. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1977;29:1–4.
    1. Elliott JP. Magnesium sulfate as a tocolytic agent. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1983;147:277–84.
    1. Taber EB, Tan L, Chao CR, Beall MH, Ross MG. Pharmacokinetics of ionized versus total magnesium in subjects with preterm labor and preeclampsia. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2002;186:1017–21.
    1. Glock JL, Morales J. Efficacy and safety of nifedipine versus magnesium sulfate in the management of preterm labor: a randomized study. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1992;169:960–4.

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources