The Length of the Cervix and the Risk of Spontaneous Preterm Delivery

2021 ◽  
pp. 32-37
Author(s):  
Julie Stone ◽  
Michael House
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Inverse Relationship ◽  
Clinical Case ◽  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
Cervical Length ◽  
Central Component ◽  
Current Clinical Practice ◽  
Short Cervix ◽  
Spontaneous Preterm Delivery ◽  
Increased Risk

Measurement of the cervical length has become a central component of prenatal care. Mid-trimester cervical shortening is associated with preterm birth. This article summarizes a key study that established a strong correlation between cervical shortening and an increased risk of preterm birth. Transvaginal ultrasound was used to measure cervical length at 22 to 24 weeks’ gestation. The study showed that a short cervix was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth before 35 weeks. In addition, the shortest cervix conferred the highest risk, suggesting an inverse relationship. This article concludes by summarizing how cervical length is incorporated into current clinical practice. Also, a clinical case is presented.

scholarly journals Association Between Cervical Length at 18-23 Weeks of Gestation and Spontaneous Preterm Delivery: A Cross Sectional Study

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Trupti Ruge ◽  
Trupti Ruge ◽  
Emanuel Gracias
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Preterm Delivery ◽  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
Demographic Data ◽  
Cross Sectional Study ◽  
Cervical Length ◽  
Sectional Study ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Spontaneous Preterm Delivery

Introduction: Preterm birth is childbirth occurring at less than 37 completed weeks or 259 days of gestation, is a major determinant of neonatal mortality and morbidity and has long-term adverse consequences for health. Identifying ways to address preventable causes of preterm birth should be a top priority in developing regions of the world. the present study was planned to find the association between cervical length at 18 to 23 weeks of gestation done as a routine during all second level scans and spontaneous preterm delivery. Patients and Methods: This is a hospital based cross sectional study conducted during the period from January 2019 to December 2019. A total of 205 women presenting with singleton pregnancies between 18- 23 weeks of gestations were assessed by transvaginal ultrasound for the measurement of cervical length. Patients were interviewed and their demographic data such as age, obstetric index(GPALD), obstetric history such last menstrual period (LMP), estimated delivery date (EDD) and current pregnancy details such as BP, pulse rate, pallor, period of gestation, were recorded in a predesigned pro forma. Results: In a total of 205 subjects, the average age was found to be 23.26 ± 3.49 years with 52.2% of the women being primigravida. The mean gestation age at the time of enrollment was 20.72 ± 1.00 weeks with 33% of women showing a cervical length of 26-30 mm. The delivery outcome was found as 11% preterm, majority (89.27%) was term delivery. Conclusion: The present study showed that a significantly higher number of women with cervical length ≤ 30 mm (assessed at 18 to 23 weeks of gestation) had preterm labour compared to a woman with cervical length > 30 mm.

The comparison of USG measured cervical length in pregnant women with previous induced abortion versus those who have not had an induced abortion

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (10) ◽  
pp. 4024
Author(s):  
Harshita Naidu ◽  
Nivedita Hegde ◽  
Anjali M. ◽  
Rohini Kanniga ◽  
Akhila Vasudeva
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Preterm Delivery ◽  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
Induced Abortion ◽  
Cervical Length ◽  
Care Hospital ◽  
Spontaneous Preterm Delivery ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
History Of

Background: The majority of women who undergo induced abortion are young and of low parity. Hence, it is desirable to look for any association effects of induced abortion with future reproductive outcomes. In this study, we aim to compare ultrasound measured cervical length in pregnant women with previous induced abortion versus those who have not had an induced abortion.Methods: This was a prospective observational study performed at tertiary care hospital. Total of 400 patients were recruited, divided into two groups. Patients with an induced abortion in previous pregnancy were included as cases and those with no history were taken as controls. Cervical length was measured by transvaginal ultrasound in all participants at 11-14, 18-22 and 28-32 weeks. Pregnancies were followed up to note incidence of spontaneous preterm delivery, preterm pre labour rupture of membranes (PPROM), threatened preterm, and second trimester miscarriage.Results: Authors have found that there was no significant difference in the cervical length of pregnant patients with or without a history of prior induced abortions.  In our study authors found that mean cervical length at 11-14weeks, 18-22 weeks, and 28-32 weeks was 3.47±0.126cm and 3.48±0.195cm; 3.44±0.296cm and 3.49±0.182cm; 3.36±0.477cm and 3.42±0.310cm respectively among cases and controls. However, there was a demonstrably increased risk of spontaneous preterm delivery, PPROM and threatened preterm in patients with a history of prior induced abortion.Conclusions: Authors conclude that previous induced abortion increases the risk of threatened preterm, PPROM, spontaneous preterm delivery in the subsequent pregnancy. But, this risk is not predictable by measuring cervical length as the mean cervical length remained the same in both the groups.

Ultrasonographic Change in Uterocervical Angle is not a Risk Factor for Preterm Birth in Women with a Short Cervix

2017 ◽  
Vol 34 (11) ◽  
pp. 1058-1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kam Szlachetka ◽  
Neil Seligman ◽  
Tara Lynch
Keyword(s):  
Risk Factor ◽  
Retrospective Study ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Primary Outcome ◽  
Cervical Length ◽  
Inclusion Criteria ◽  
Short Cervix ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Singleton Pregnancies

Objective To determine if change in uterocervical angle (UCA) is associated with an increased rate of preterm birth (less than 37 weeks) for women with a short cervix. Study Design A retrospective study was performed from January 2013 to March 2016 of singleton pregnancies undergoing universal cervical length screening. The difference between the UCA for the first cervical length ≤ 2.5 cm and last recorded cervical length < 25 weeks was defined as the change in UCA. The primary outcome was the rate of preterm birth at < 37 weeks of gestation. Results A total of 176 women met the inclusion criteria. There was no difference in the rate of preterm birth at < 34 weeks (23.3 vs. 16.7%, p = 0.27) or at < 37 weeks (34.9 vs. 37.8%, p = 0.69) based on a change in UCA (i.e., decreased/no change or increased UCA). However, women with a final UCA ≥105 degrees had an increased risk of preterm birth at less than 34 weeks (24.2 vs. 6.8%, p = 0.01). Conclusion A change in UCA was not associated with an increased risk of preterm birth. Instead, a final absolute UCA ≥ 105 degrees measured < 25 weeks was associated with an increased risk of preterm birth at < 34 weeks of gestation for women with a short cervix ≤ 2.5 cm.

scholarly journals Uterocervical Angle Measurement Improves Prediction of Preterm Birth in Twin Gestation

2017 ◽  
Vol 35 (07) ◽  
pp. 648-654 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Tenbrink ◽  
Mitchell Onslow ◽  
Avinash Patil ◽  
Jordan Knight
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
Cervical Length ◽  
Angle Measurement ◽  
Spontaneous Preterm Birth ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Gestational Age At Birth ◽  
Twin Pregnancies ◽  
Better Than

Objective Twin pregnancies are associated with an increased risk of spontaneous preterm birth. Our objective was to compare the performance of uterocervical angle to cervical length as predictors of spontaneous preterm birth in this population. Methods We conducted a retrospective cohort study of twin gestations at a single center from May 2008 to 2016 who received a transvaginal ultrasound for the evaluation of the cervix between 16 0/7 and 23 0/7 weeks. The primary outcome was prediction of preterm birth <28 and <32 weeks by uterocervical angle and cervical length. Results Among 259 women with twin gestation, the mean gestational age at birth was 34.83 ± 3.48 weeks. Receiver operator characteristic curves demonstrated optimal prediction of spontaneous preterm birth prior to 32 weeks at a uterocervical angle >110° (80% sensitivity, 82% specificity) [odds ratio (OR), 15.7 (95% confidence interval (CI), 7.2–34.4)] versus cervical length <20 mm (53% sensitivity, 85% specificity; p < 0.001, OR, 6.4 [95% CI, 2.3–17.8]) and similarly, prior to 28 weeks at a uterocervical angle >114° (OR, 24.3 [95% CI, 6.7–88.5]) compared with cervical length <20 mm (OR, 11.4 [95% CI, 3.5–36.7]). Conclusion Uterocervical angles >110° performed better than cervical length for the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth in twin gestations.

scholarly journals Vaginal progesterone in risk reduction of preterm birth in women with short cervix

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (7) ◽  
pp. 2695
Author(s):  
Shubhi Srivastava ◽  
D. Borgohain
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
Perinatal Outcomes ◽  
Cervical Length ◽  
Singleton Pregnancy ◽  
Short Cervix ◽  
Mortality And Morbidity ◽  
Medical College ◽  
Vaginal Progesterone ◽  
Adverse Neonatal Outcomes

Background: Preterm birth is a global health problem affecting the neonate, family and country in general. It is the leading cause of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Short cervical length detected on transvaginal ultrasound is the most practical risk factor for prediction of preterm birth. The aim of this study was to determine the efficacy and safety of vaginal progesterone in reducing the rate of preterm birth in women with a short cervix and to determine its effect on neonatal mortality and morbidity.Methods: The study was carried out in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Assam Medical College, Dibrugarh for a period of one year. It included 128 asymptomatic women with a singleton pregnancy and a sonographic short cervix. Women were randomly divided into two groups, one of which was given placebo and the other was given vaginal progesterone and a comparative study was conducted.Results: It was observed that delivery before 37 weeks of gestation was less frequent in the progesterone group than in the placebo group (60.94% vs. 90.63%). Vaginal progesterone was also associated with a significant reduction in adverse neonatal outcomes like the rate of sepsis (6.25% vs. 18.75%), requirement of ventilator (12.5% vs. 26.56%), admission to NICU (10.94% vs. 26.56%) and birth weight ≤1.5kg (7.81% vs. 21.88%).Conclusions: Vaginal progesterone reduces the risk of preterm birth and adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnant women without any deleterious effects on the foetus or mother.

scholarly journals A randomized controlled trial on the use of pessary plus progesterone to prevent preterm birth in women with short cervical length (P5 trial)

2019 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rodolfo C. Pacagnella ◽  
◽  
Ben W. Mol ◽  
Anderson Borovac-Pinheiro ◽  
Renato Passini ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Randomized Controlled Trial ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
Cervical Length ◽  
Categorical Variables ◽  
Continuous Variables ◽  
Short Cervix ◽  
Randomized Controlled ◽  
Vaginal Progesterone

Abstract Background Preterm birth is the leading cause of mortality and disability in newborn and infants. Having a short cervix increases the risk of preterm birth, which can be accessed by a transvaginal ultrasound scan during the second trimester. In women with a short cervix, vaginal progesterone and pessary can both reduce this risk, which progesterone more established than cervical pessary. The aim of this study is to compare the use of vaginal progesterone alone versus the association of progesterone plus pessary to prevent preterm birth in women with a short cervix. Methods This is a pragmatic open-label randomized controlled trial that will take place in 17 health facilities in Brazil. Pregnant women will be screened for a short cervix with a transvaginal ultrasound between 18 0/7 until 22 6/7 weeks of gestational age. Women with a cervical length below or equal to 30 mm will be randomized to the combination of progesterone (200 mg) and pessary or progesterone (200 mg) alone until 36 + 0 weeks. The primary outcome will be a composite of neonatal adverse events, to be collected at 10 weeks after birth. The analysis will be by intention to treat. The sample size is 936 women, and a prespecified subgroup analysis is planned for cervical length (= < or > 25 mm). Categorical variables will be expressed as a percentage and continuous variables as mean with standard deviation. Time to delivery will be assessed with Kaplan-Meier analysis and Cox proportional hazard analysis. Discussion In clinical practice, the combination of progesterone and pessary is common however, few studies have studied this association. The combination of treatment might act in both the biochemical and mechanical routes related to the onset of preterm birth. Trial registration Brazilian Clinical Trial Registry (ReBec) RBR-3t8prz, UTN: U1111–1164-2636, 2014/11/18.

scholarly journals CRAFT (Cerclage after full dilatation caesarean section): protocol of a mixed methods study investigating the role of previous in-labour caesarean section in preterm birth risk

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Naomi Carlisle ◽  
Agnieszka Glazewska-Hallin ◽  
Lisa Story ◽  
Jenny Carter ◽  
Paul T. Seed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Caesarean Section ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
Subsequent Pregnancy ◽  
Spontaneous Preterm Birth ◽  
Short Cervix ◽  
Fetal Fibronectin ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Late Miscarriage

Abstract Background Full dilatation caesarean sections are associated with recurrent early spontaneous preterm birth and late miscarriage. The risk following first stage caesarean sections, are less well defined, but appears to be increased in late-first stage of labour. The mechanism for this increased risk of late miscarriage and early spontaneous preterm birth in these women is unknown and there are uncertainties with regards to clinical management. Current predictive models of preterm birth (based on transvaginal ultrasound and quantitative fetal fibronectin) have not been validated in these women and it is unknown whether the threshold to define a short cervix (≤25 mm) is reliable in predicting the risk of preterm birth. In addition the efficacy of standard treatments or whether benefit may be derived from prophylactic interventions such as a cervical cerclage is unknown. Methods There are three distinct components to the CRAFT project (CRAFT-OBS, CRAFT-RCT and CRAFT-IMG). CRAFT-OBS: Observational Study; To evaluate subsequent pregnancy risk of preterm birth in women with a prior caesarean section in established labour. This prospective study of cervical length and quantitative fetal fibronectin data will establish a predictive model of preterm birth. CRAFT-RCT: Randomised controlled trial arm; To assess treatment for short cervix in women at high risk of preterm birth following a fully dilated caesarean section. CRAFT-IMG: Imaging sub-study; To evaluate the use of MRI and transvaginal ultrasound imaging of micro and macrostructural cervical features which may predispose to preterm birth in women with a previous fully dilated caesarean section, such as scar position and niche. Discussion The CRAFT project will quantify the risk of preterm birth or late miscarriage in women with previous in-labour caesarean section, define the best management and shed light on pathological mechanisms so as to improve the care we offer to women and their babies. Trial registration CRAFT was prospectively registered on 25th November 2019 with the ISRCTN registry (10.1186/ISRCTN15068651).

Cervical Cerclage versus Vaginal Progesterone for Management of Short Cervix in Low-Risk Women

2018 ◽  
Vol 36 (02) ◽  
pp. 111-117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah Dotters-Katz ◽  
Brenna Hughes ◽  
Amber Wood
Keyword(s):  
Preterm Birth ◽  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
Cervical Length ◽  
Low Risk ◽  
Prior History ◽  
Short Cervix ◽  
Vaginal Progesterone ◽  
History Of ◽  
Secondary Outcomes ◽  
Low Risk Women

Objective To evaluate the risk of preterm birth in low-risk women with cervical length (CL) ≤25 mm on transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) managed with vaginal progesterone (VagP) therapy versus cerclage. Study Design This is a retrospective cohort of women with no prior history of preterm birth or cervical insufficiency and CL ≤ 25 mm on TVUS, managed with either VagP therapy alone or cerclage (with or without VagP). The primary outcome was rate of preterm delivery < 37 weeks gestational age (GA). Secondary outcomes included delivery at ≤ 32 or ≤ 28 weeks GA, premature preterm rupture of membranes, pregnancy latency, GA at delivery, and composite neonatal outcome. Results Women undergoing cerclage placement (n = 31) were older and had an earlier GA at the time of diagnosis of short cervix compared with women receiving VagP (n = 62). Delivery at < 37 weeks occurred in 21/62 (33.9%) in the VagP group and 14/31 (45.2%) in the cerclage group (adjusted odds ratio: 1.72, 95% confidence interval: 0.52, 5.66). There were no differences in secondary outcomes. Conclusion Cerclage compared with VagP therapy did not decrease risk of preterm birth in women with CL ≤ 25 mm. Further research is needed to determine optimal management in such women given a residual 40% risk of preterm birth despite optimal therapy.

scholarly journals Rapid quality improvement in a preterm birth clinic care pathway during the COVID-19 pandemic

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. e001049
Author(s):  
Sara Zarasvand ◽  
Erna Bayar ◽  
Malko Adan ◽  
Katherine Mountain ◽  
Holly Lewis ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Quality Improvement ◽  
Preterm Birth ◽  
High Risk ◽  
Care Pathway ◽  
Clinical Pathways ◽  
Transvaginal Ultrasound ◽  
Cervical Length ◽  
Short Cervix ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Uk

BackgroundPreterm birth (PTB) occurs in 8% of births in the UK. At Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, our PTB prevention clinic manages the care of approximately 1000 women/year. Women referred to the clinic are seen from 12 weeks of pregnancy with subsequent appointments every 2–4 weeks to measure cervical length (CL) using transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS). Women with a history of cervical weakness or short cervix on TVUS are offered a cervical cerclage.Local problemDuring the COVID-19 outbreak, pregnant women were strongly advised to avoid social mixing and public transport. The National Health Service had to rapidly adopt remote consultation and redesign clinical pathways in order to reduce transmission, exposure and spread among women at high risk of PTB.MethodsWe focused on Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timebound aims and used a driver diagram to visualise our changes. We used a series of Plan Do Study Act cycles to evaluate and adapt change ideas through the UK’s national lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic between 23 March and 29 May 2020.ResultsWe reduced the number of face-to-face appointments by 54%. This was achieved by increasing remote telephone consultations from 0% to 64%, and by reducing the intensity of surveillance. The rate of regional anaesthetic was increased from 53% to 95% for cerclage placement in order to minimise the number of aerosol-generating procedures. Patient and staff satisfaction responses to these changes were used to tailor practices. No women tested positive for COVID-19 during the study period.ConclusionsBy using quality improvement methodology, we were able to safely and rapidly implement a new care pathway for women at high risk of PTB which was acceptable to patients and staff, and effective in reducing exposure of COVID-19.

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