Prediction of preterm birth by estimating ultrasonographic cervical changes


Abstract in English

The study is carried on 65 pregnant patients attending the outpatient clinics and inpatient department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Al Assad University Hospital from February- 2013 until February- 2014. They were divided to three groups. The first is preterm labor with intact membranes (25 patients). The second is PROM (20 patients). The third one is control group (20 patients). All of them were submitted to ultrasonography to find cervical changes (cervical canal length and diameter of internal os in order to predict preterm delivery. Cervical canal length has a sensitivity of 91.43%, a specificity of 100%, a positive predictive value of 100%, a negative predictive value of 76.92%, and a relative risk (95% CI) of 4.33 (1.61-11.69) among patients with short cervical canal length and those with normal cervix. Diameter of internal os as a predictor of preterm delivery has a sensitivity of 60%, a specificity of 60%, a positive predictive value of 84%, a negative predictive value of 30%, and a relative risk (95% CI) of 1.2 (0.86–1.68).

References used

David F. Colombo, MD, Jay D. Iams, MD: Cervical length and preterm labor. Clinical Obstet. & Gynecol. 43:735-745,2000
lams JD, Goldenberg RL, Meis PJ, Mercer BM. Moawad A, Das A, Thom E, McNellis D, Copper RL, Johnson F, Roberts JM: The length of the cervix and the risk of spontaneous premature delivery. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Maternal-Fetal –Medicine Unit Network N Engl. J. Med. 334: 67, 1996
Taipale P, Hiilesmaa V: Obstetrical Sonography in measurement of uterine cervix at 18-22 weeks gestation and the risk of preterm delivery. Obstet. Gynecol. 92: 902-907,1998

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