Braxton Hicks contractions
Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data
Citation:
Weerakkody Y, Campos A, Yap J, et al. Braxton Hicks contractions. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 29 Mar 2025) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-12304
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rID:
12304
Article created:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was created Yuranga Weerakkody had no recorded disclosures.
View Yuranga Weerakkody's current disclosures
Last revised:
Disclosures:
At the time the article was last revised Arlene Campos had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Arlene Campos's current disclosures
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Systems:
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Synonyms:
- Physiological uterine contractions in pregnancy
- Braxton Hicks contraction
- Physiological myometrial contractions in pregnancy
- Braxton-Hicks contractions
- False labour
- False labor
- Practice contractions
- False contractions
- Practice contraction
- False contraction
Braxton Hicks contractions, also known as practice contractions or false labor, are physiological contractions of myometrium that occur in pregnancy. They are often sporadic and start by ~6 weeks.
Radiographic features
Ultrasound
It may be seen as a transient change in myometrial thickness 2.
History and etymology
It is named after John Braxton Hicks, an English physician who first described it in 1871 1,5.
Differential diagnosis
Considerations for a focal myometrial thickness include:
uterine leiomyoma: not transient
See also
References
- 1. Dunn PM. John Braxton Hicks (1823-97) and painless uterine contractions. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. 1999;81 (2): F157-8. Arch. Dis. Child. Fetal Neonatal Ed. (link) - Free text at pubmed - Pubmed citation
- 2. Yiu-chiu V, Chiu L. Sonographic features of placental complications in pregnancy. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1982;138 (5): 879-85. AJR Am J Roentgenol (citation) - Pubmed citation
- 3.Masui T, Katayama M, Kobayashi S et-al. Pseudolesions related to uterine contraction: characterization with multiphase-multisection T2-weighted MR imaging. Radiology. 2003;227 (2): 345-52. doi:10.1148/radiol.2271011587 - Pubmed citation
- 4. Wilson R & Worthen N. Ultrasonic Demonstration of Myometrial Contractions in Intrauterine Pregnancy. AJR Am J Roentgenol. 1979;132(2):243-7. doi:10.2214/ajr.132.2.243 - Pubmed
- 5. Hicks JB : On the contractions of the uterus throughout pregnancy, their physiological effects and their value in the diagnosis of pregnancy. Trans Obstet Soc London 13 : 216- 231, 1871
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