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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Sep 2.
Published in final edited form as: J Perinat Med. 2013 Jan;41(1):27–44. doi: 10.1515/jpm-2012-0272

Figure 2.

Figure 2

Normal spontaneous labor at term results from physiologic activation of the common pathway of parturition. In contrast, preterm labor begins because of a pathologic insult, resulting in the initiation of labor.