[The value of adjuvant ampicillin therapy in idiopathic premature labor].

Evidence suggests that subclinical intrauterine infection may play an etiologic role in preterm labour. To test the hypothesis, that treatment with antibiotics might delay delivery, we retrospectively have investigated 104 women in idiopathic preterm labour who were given ampicillin additional to tocolysis and 90 comparable women without antibiotic treatment. There were no significant differences between the two groups in regard to prolongation of gestation, gestational age at delivery, fetal weight, fetal well-being or connatal infections. Adjuvant ampicillin treatment of women in idiopathic premature labour without other signs or indicators of subclinical intrauterine infection seems not beneficial.