The treatment of women in preterm labor with human chorionic gonadotropin offers potential benefits in preventing retinopathy of prematurity and cerebral palsy in prematurely newborn infants

Infants born before the 37 th completed gestational week are classified as preterm births. [1,2]pproximately 85% of these births occur between 32 and 37 weeks of pregnancy. [1,2]Preterm births are more prevalent in low-and middle-income countries. [1,2]Infants born prematurely are susceptible to several medical complications, including retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), cerebral palsy (CP); neurological, visual, and hearing impairments; breathing and feeding difficulties; developmental delays; autism spectrum disorders; and motor and behavioral problems. [1,2]These complications are more severe in early (<34 weeks) than in late (34-36 weeks) preterm births.The healthcare costs in the United States alone have been estimated to exceed 26 billion dollars annually. [1,2] This figure does not include the long-term palliative care costs incurred by many preterm infants.Medical complications from preterm births account for about 900,000 deaths globally each year. [1]The resulting deaths and disability-adjusted life years contribute substantially to the loss of human capital and economic productivity.Preterm birth complications impose significant burdens on caregivers, communities, and healthcare systems.The affected families often endure immense emotional distress, suffering, feelings of guilt, and potential financial ruin. [1,2]veral factors can contribute to preterm births, including infections, inflammation, premature rupture of membranes, placental complications, twin or triplet pregnancies, cervical insufficiencies, lifestyle factors, and environmental influences.All these factors prematurely initiate uterine contractions, which are essential for fetal expulsion. [3]The precise mechanisms of these untimely contractions remain uncertain.To understand these mechanisms require extensive longitudinal studies comparing women with preterm labor with those who continue through the completion of full-term pregnancy.Such studies are impractical to conduct.Nevertheless, declines in progesterone and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels are potential causes of preterm birth.The placenta produces both hormones, and they can inhibit uterine contractions. [3]The contributions of other factors, if any, cannot be entirely disregarded.The decline may commence due to a reduction in placental signaling or premature placental separation from the uterine wall.This results in a decrease in progesterone and hCG-mediated inhibition of uterine contractions, concurrently exposing the uterus to the contracting stimulating influence of oxytocin. [3,4]