Long-term use of magnesium sulfate as a tocolytic agent

Two patients in premature labor were treated continuously for six and 13 weeks with intravenous magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄) for tocolysis. In each case, conventional therapy with intravenous and oral ritodrine failed to abate uterine contractions, and attempts to taper the MgSO₄were unsuccessful. Both pregnancies proceeded uneventfully otherwise, with normal fetal growth. Long-term MgSO₄may be a safe and efficacious alternative for occasional patients not responding to other modes of therapy for the treatment of premature labor. (Obstet Gynecol 67:38S, 1986).