Injections Used for Protecting Pregnancy

Prematurely born infants (i.e., before the 37th week of pregnancy) may suffer from health issues related to breathing, vision, nutrition, and learning difficulties. To prevent premature birth, doctors may prescribe types of injections, which can also be prescribed to prevent miscarriage in the early stages of pregnancy. What do you know about these injections? Follow the article to learn all about them.

What injections are given to prevent miscarriage and Premature birth?

The doctor may prescribe injections containing essential hormonal medications in an attempt to support and stabilize the pregnancy and prevent miscarriage or premature birth. The following are the main types:

• Progesterone Injections

This type of injection contains the hormone progesterone, which is naturally produced in the bodies of both women and men, playing a crucial role during pregnancy, especially in the first three months. It aids in:

1. Preparing the uterus to receive the fertilized egg.
2. making sure the uterus has enough dilated blood vessels to feed the embryo.
3. Contributing to the formation of the placenta by the tenth week of pregnancy.
4. Strengthening the walls of the uterus.
5. Stimulating breast tissue growth.
6. Ensuring that the body does not produce milk until the baby is born.

Progesterone injections are commonly used to prevent premature birth due to their role in preventing uterine contractions during labor. 

Doctors may prescribe these injections to pregnant women who have experienced multiple miscarriages, as some doctors believe that providing an additional dose of progesterone may prevent miscarriage.

• Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Injections

Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) is a hormone produced by the body early in pregnancy through specialized cells, and later from the placenta. This hormone helps maintain high levels of progesterone hormone, which plays a vital role in maintaining pregnancy by stimulating the ovaries to produce it throughout the pregnancy period. It also supports fetal growth and promotes the development of new blood vessels in the uterus, all of which are essential for maintaining pregnancy.

Doctors may prescribe these injections when the level of the hCG hormone is low during pregnancy and does not increase as it should week by week. Therefore, they are suitable for women who have a history of miscarriage due to low hCG hormone levels or women whose bodies cannot naturally produce enough of it during pregnancy.

How Are They Administered?

Although further studies are needed to prove the effectiveness of these injections in preserving the pregnancy, doctors usually prescribe them as follows:

• Progesterone Injections

Doctors typically recommend starting progesterone injections between weeks 16 - 20 and continuing them until week 36 to prevent premature birth. They are usually administered in the hip, thigh, or the back of the woman's arm. 

Regarding the method of administration to prevent miscarriage, the doctor may prescribe progesterone in the form of injections, pills, or suppositories during the early months of pregnancy, with doses varying from one woman to another depending on the condition.

• Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Injections

Doctors usually prescribe these injections at a concentration of 5,000 - 10,000 units, which are injected subcutaneously or intramuscularly. The doctor typically determines a schedule and timing for the injections based on the health condition.

What are their Side Effects?

These injections may cause the following side effects:

• Progesterone Injections

Progesterone injections may cause mild side effects such as redness and pain at the injection site, headache, nausea, dizziness, drowsiness, weight changes, hair loss, and acne. In rare cases, some women may experience blood clots or allergic reactions.

• Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) Injections:

These injections may cause stomach pain, swelling, headache, rash, and dizziness.

In conclusion, these injections contain hormones whose levels naturally rise after the fertilized egg implants to preserve pregnancy and maintain its safety. A decrease in these hormone levels indicates an increased risk of miscarriage. Therefore, in case of a threatened pregnancy, before prescribing these injections, the doctor may request a progesterone hormone test or a Beta-hCG test provided by Blazma, which does not require any prior preparations such as fasting, but the doctor may request them at a specific time.