Electrical Inhibition of Human Preterm Contractions

The purpose of this study is to determine the effectiveness of a new method of preventing the human preterm uterine contractions of labor during electrical monitoring. The objective is to test a method for the inhibition of human preterm uterine contractions with an electrical pacemaker, electrical inhibition (EI). The study will investigate EI associated changes in preterm uterine contraction frequency as monitored by objective uterine tocodynamometry and adjunct electromyography (EMG) and electrohysterogram (EHG). The endpoint is the statistically significant EI induced decrease in the gold standard tocodynamometric monitored preterm uterine contraction frequency. The adjunct EMG and EHG monitoring provides valuable adjunct data about the electrical activity of the preterm uterine contractions and the effect of EI on this activity. The investigators hypothesize that human preterm uterine contractions can be safely and objectively inhibited with a weak electrical current provided by an electrical inhibition (EI)/uterine pacemaker device. This effect can be assessed by the use of a non-invasive tocodynamometer. It has been previously been shown that the frequency of contractions during preterm labor can be lowered by EI applied by the use of an intravaginal catheter carrying electrodes similar to a cardiac pacemaker (Karsdon et al). The investigators hypothesize that this effect relates to the timing and length of EI exposure.