Magnesium Sulfate & Terbutaline for Preterm Labor: Side Effects & Long-Term Impacts

Question
I had magnisium sulfate and terbutaline ,steroids for preterm labor. My first two preg. I did this and still had early babies. Both of my boys have problems not bad but bad enough that it affects every day of our lives. My 10 yr.old has a lot of problems w/out a dignosis. Can you tell me what long and short term side effects there are with mag. I was never told any of them .I was told it was their only chance. If I could find out about the drugs maybe I can help them.
Thank you, Kellie

Answer
We use Magnesium sulfate  and terbutaline (Brethine) for the treatment of preterm labor, in order to try to forestall the labor. Although they work for short periods of time, they have not been found to prevent preterm labor for any length of time. Magnesium sulfate is used as an anticonvulsant for toxemia and as a tocolytic agent for premature labor during the last half of pregnancy. No reports linking the use of magnesium sulfate with congenital defects have been located. No adverse effects from therapy were noted in fetuses or newborns.  No differences in neurologic behavior were observed except that exposed infants had decreased active tone of the neck extensions on the first day after birth. Magnesium sulfate therapy does not pose a risk to the fetus or newborn. Long term infusions of magnesium may be adssociated with sustained hypocalcemia in the fetus, resulting in congenital rickets, but this is extremely rare.  Terbutaline is a beta sympathomimetic medication indicated for the prevention of labor. No reports linking the use of terbutaline with congenital defectsd have ben located. However, the use of the drug as a tocolytic is confined to the late second and early third trimesters.  Terbiutaline has been used as a tocolytic since the early 1970s. Only rare reports of serious toxicity in the fetus or newborn have appeared and although maternal adverse effects are much more common, toxicity in both are no more frequent than with other beta mimetics used for the treatment of premature labor.  I have not found any data to suggest that either of these medications could have had any long term consequences for your boys.