Table 2.
Summary of results reported in a systematic review of reviews2
| Review | Tocolytic agent | Birth >48 hrs (95% CI) | Birth >7 days (95% CI) |
Birth >34 weeks (95% CI) |
Birth >37 weeks (95% CI) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| King 1988 | Betamimetics compared with placebo or no treatment | 12 trials OR 0.59, (0.42-0.83) Significant |
- | - | 8 trials OR 0.71 (0.53-0.96) Significant |
| Coomarasamy et al 2002 | Atosiban V placebo (2 trials) Atosiban V beta-agonist (4 trials) |
2 trials RR 1.13, (1.02-1.26) Significant 4 trials RR 1.07 (0.98-1.17) Not significant |
- 3 trials RR 1.25 (1.09-1.44) Significant |
- | - |
| Crowther et al 2002 | Magnesium sulphate V placebo/no treatment or other tocolytic agent | 11 trials RR 0.85, (0.58-1.25) Not significant |
- | No difference reported | No difference reported |
| King et al 2003 | Calcium channel blockers V any other tocolytic agent | - | RR 0.76, (0.60-0.97) Significant |
RR 0.83, (0.69-0.99) Significant |
RR 0.95, (0.83-1.09) Not significant |
| Anotayanonth et al 2004 | Betamimetics V Placebo | 11 trials RR 0.63, (0.53-0.75) Significant |
11 trials RR 0.78, (0.68-0.90) Significant |
- | 11 trials RR 0.95, (0.88-1.03) Not significant |
| King et al 2005 | COX inhibitor V Placebo COX inhibitor V any other tocolytic |
2 trials RR 0.20, CI 0.03-1.28 4 trials RR 0.59, CI 0.34-1.02 |
2 trials RR 0.41, CI 0.10-1.66 |
- | 3 trials RR 0.21, CI 0.07-0.62 3 trials RR 0.53, CI 0.31-0.94 |
| Whitworth & Quenby 2008 | Oral betamimetic V placebo | - | - | - | RR 1.07, (0.14-8.09) Not significant |
2 Reprinted from the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology, Volume 142, Smith V, Devane D, Begley CM, Clarke M, Higgins S. A systematic review and quality assessment of systematic reviews of randomised trials of interventions for preventing and treating preterm birth. 3-11, Copyright (2009), with permission from Elsevier.