Cervical length as a predictor risk of preterm delivery

Abstract EN

Objectives : to study cervical length measurement by transvaginal ultrasound at 20-28 weeks as predictor for women at risk of preterm delivery.

Methods : this study was done over a period of one year between 2012 and 2013 at prince Rashid Bin Al-Hassan Military Hospital-Irbid-Jordan.

Cervical assessment by transvaginal sonography was done in 100 women at 20-28 weeks of gestation.

The gestation at delivery in woman with cervical length more or equal to 3 cm (group A, n = 80) were compared with that in woman with cervical length < 3 cm (group B, n = 20) Results : thirty-eight percent of patients were primigravidas and 61.25 % were multigravidas in group A, while 35 % of them were primigravidas and 65 % were multigravidas in group B.

The most age group of the women was between 21-30 years in both groups.

The incidence of preterm delivery was 13.75 % in group A as compared to 9 0% in group B (p < 0.005).

In group A of the 80 women 11 delivered preterm (13.75 %), 7 of them between 32 and 37 weeks of gestation and 4 women before 32 weeks.

While in group B, 18 of the 20 women (90 %) delivered preterm (10 before 32 weeks, 8 between 32 and 37 weeks and 2 after 37 weeks).

The mean cervical length in group A women was 3.5±0.6 cm, while it was 2.1 ± 0.5 cm in group B women.

Conclusion : transvaginal ultrasound has been shown to be an objective sensitive and reliable method to assess the cervix and predict the risk of preterm delivery.