Every year, new developments are made in all different fields of medicine, as new research and new treatments are developed to help people live happier and healthier lives. However, improving health isn’t the only goal behind medical research, there are many others including improving an expectant mother’s chances of bringing life into the world. For instance, a drug known as 17 Alpha Hydroxyprogesterone caporate (17P), has been designed in the hopes of decreasing the occurrence of preterm birth in high risk pregnancies.

17P has been used in a number of studies in order to determine its safety and effectiveness and, so far, many of the results have been promising. What does it do? 17-Alpha Hydroxyprogesterone is a progestogen that is not unlike the hormone progesterone. It is given intramuscularly to high-risk pregnant women during their second and third trimester to help prevent early delivery. Although there may be different factors that cause premature delivery, it is believed that one factor may be linked to a drop in progesterone levels. This reduction is thought to stimulate the start of labor and 17-P helps prevent this decrease.

Although studies have found 17-Hydroxyprogesterone to be safe for the fetus overall, with no evidence suggesting that the drug impairs the unborn child’s development, further research continues to be conducted to further verify the effectiveness and safety of the treatment. Currently, 17 alpha Hydroxyprogesterone is only available by prescription from certain compound pharmacies.