[Decrease in premature birth rate through consequent application of diagnostic and therapeutic standards in pregnancy monitoring].

All pregnant women living in the district of Suhl have been observed in our prenatal outpatient department. All gave birth in our department for obstetrics and gynaecology. This observation is made on the base of a standard. From 1981-1987 there were 5,657 pregnant women with singleton pregnancies. In this time the rate of premature birth was on an average of 4.7%. But, over the time there was a slope from 7.3 to 2.8%. Consecutively there was a decrease of 50% in perinatal mortality. The successful standards for observation of pregnant women used in our department have been discussed.