The value of serial cervical length measurements for the prediction of threatened preterm labour.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the predictive performance of cervical length measurement at presentation and 24h later in women with symptoms of preterm labour.


METHODS
Cervical length was measured transvaginally at presentation and 24 hours later in 122 women presenting with threatened preterm labour between 23 and 33+6 gestational weeks.


RESULTS
Six women delivered within 1 week of presentation. The sensitivity and specificity of a cervical length <15 mm at admission for delivery within one week was 83.3 and 95.8%, respectively. A reduction of >20% in cervical length 24h after admission predicted 50% of preterm deliveries within 1 week, with a specificity of 92.7%; in combination with cervical length at presentation it did not improve the prediction. The same was observed for birth before 32 weeks (N=9) and birth before 35 weeks (N=15).


CONCLUSIONS
Women with threatened preterm labour and a cervical length of <15 mm at presentation are at high risk of delivering preterm. Cervical change in the following 24 hours does not seem to improve the prediction.
Sotiriadis
Alexandros
A
Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Hospital of Ioannina, 45500 Ioannina, Greece.
Kavvadias
Alexios
A
Papatheodorou
Stefania
S
Paraskevaidis
Evangelos
E
Makrydimas
George
G
D054791:Cervical Length Measurement; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007752:Obstetric Labor, Premature / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D047928:Premature Birth / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000379:methods