The labeling for terbutaline sulfate was revised in 1988 by the drug's manufacturer to specify that it is not approved for treatment of pre-term labor. Health professionals hope that proper use of home monitoring will lead to more appropriate and effective use of tocolytics. Home services also provide medication therapy as prescribed by a physician. High costs of hospitalization and the rate of illness and death in newborns are factors in the increased use of home monitoring for women who have high-risk pregnancies due to these conditions. Educating expectant mothers to get early prenatal care, eat nutritionally sound diets, stop smoking, practice stress reduction, and detect signs of pre-term labor can go a long way towards lowering the incidence of infant mortality and illness.
Contractions associated with labor usually cause the cervix to open.
When done during pregnancy, the image can give information about the fetus. It is sometimes called the womb.