[Investigation on the influence of a tocolytic treatment of pregnant women with diazepam and fenoterol on the bilirubin levels and apgar score of newborn (author's transl)].

In a retrospective study of 2618 pregnant women we examined the influence of diazepam monotherapy as well as the combination of diazepam and fenoterol on the bilirubin concentrations and Apgar scores of the newborn children. In the diazepam-treated group 17-27% of the newborns showed Apgar scores of 6 or less. In the group treated with diazepam and fenoterol, 66-68% of the newborn had Apgar scores of 6 or less. The effect of diazepam on the bilirubin levels appears to depend on the dose and duration of the diazepam treatment: low, short term diazepam doses cause a slight bilirubin increase, while higher diazepam doses cause a reduction of the bilirubin levels. Following the combination therapy of diazepam and fenoterol a significant number of the infants developed neonatal jaundice. Due to the fact that following the combination therapy the diazepam concentration of the newborns were higher than following the monotherapy, we ascribe the greater frequency of the low Apgar values and also possibly the larger bilirubin increase to the higher diazepam concentration caused by fenoterol.