Cervical length, risk factors, and delivery outcomes among women with spontaneous preterm birth.

Publication/Presentation Date

9-1-2016

Abstract

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate differences in risk factors and delivery outcomes among women with spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) with short (≤25 mm) versus normal (>25 mm) cervical length (CL).

METHODS: Secondary analysis of a prospective cohort study of singleton gestations between 18 0/7 and 23 6/7 weeks, without prior sPTB, undergoing universal transvaginal CL screening between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2013. Only women with sPTB (< 37 0/7 weeks) were included. Demographic characteristics, risk factors for sPTB, delivery outcomes and presentation of PTB were collected. The primary outcome was mean number of risk factors.

RESULTS: The cohort included 2071 women, of which 145 (7%) had PTB and 84 (4%) had sPTB. Sixty-nine (82%) women with sPTB had a CL >25 mm and 15 (18%) had a CL≤25 mm. Women with a short CL did not differ from women with normal CL with respect to demographic variables or mean number of risk factors (4.20 ± 2.11 versus 3.52 ± 1.97, p = 0.23), but they did deliver at a significantly earlier gestational age (25.0 ± 1.1 versus 34.6 ± 3.1 weeks, p <  0.01). The distribution of the presentation of sPTB was different in women with a short versus normal CL (p <  0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Among women with sPTB, women with a short CL had similar number of risk factors, but were more likely to deliver at a significantly earlier gestational age. A short CL identifies women at risk for very early sPTB.

Volume

29

Issue

17

First Page

2840

Last Page

2844

ISSN

1476-4954

Disciplines

Business Administration, Management, and Operations | Health and Medical Administration | Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods

PubMedID

26452324

Department(s)

Administration and Leadership

Document Type

Article

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