•  
  •  
 

Corresponding Author

mabrouk, amr

Document Type

Original Article

Abstract

Background: Spontaneous preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality as more than one million die because of pre-term birth. Premature neonates who survive have significantly higher risk of developing serious complications such as cardiovascular, respiratory dysfunction, motor and intellectual deficiencies. Objective: The aim of our study is to evaluate the role of ultrasonographic measurement of myometrial thickness, cervical length, presence of funneling and cervical position in prediction of preterm labor. Study Design: Our prospective observational study included a sample of 100 pregnant women divided into 2 groups, group A (50 pregnant women who had previous preterm labor) and group B (50 low risk pregnant women).The myometrium thickness was measured by transabdominal ultrasound at 4 different sites low anterior, mid anterior, fundal and posterior. Transvaginal ultrasound was performed to assess cervical length, presence of funneling and cervical position. Results: The incidence of preterm labor was 18%. There was a statistically significant association between the presence of positive history of previous abortion and the risk of preterm birth. The cervical length measured at 20-24 weeks was significantly shorter in spontaneous preterm birth women in comparison to women who delivered at full term. Conclusion: At 20-24 weeks of gestation, transvaginal cervical length measurement is the best predictor. A posterior uterine thickness ≤6.0 (mm) had highest diagnostic characteristics in predicting preterm delivery among risky group. Cervical position was found insignificant in prediction of preterm birth. Keywords: Cervical length, preterm birth, myometrial thickness, cervical position.

Keywords

Cervical length; preterm birth; myometrial thickness; cervical position

Download

Share

COinS