Hormone gel shows great promise in cutting premature births

For years doctors have known that pregnant women with a short cervix face a higher risk of delivering their babies prematurely, a problem that costs the United States an estimated $26.2 billion a year and leads to the deaths of many infants. In Milwaukee, a city with one of America's highest rates of infant mortality, premature delivery is the No. 1 reason babies die before reaching their first birthday. Last week brought news that doctors could soon have an effective tool at their disposal that could lead to a significant reduction in preterm labor among this group of high-risk women. (MILWAUKEE JOURNAL SENTINEL, 4,11)