Correlation between Endocervical Length in the First Trimester and Spontaneous Preterm Delivery ()
Author(s)
Korine Camargo de Oliveira1,2,3,
Mariana Menegon de Souza4,
Patricia Telló Dürks1,3,
Maria Alexandrina Zanatta5,
Eduardo Becker Jr.1,3,
Janete Vettorazzi1,2,5*
Affiliation(s)
1Post Graduation Program in Health Sciences: Gynecology and Obstetrics, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (UFRGS), RS, Brazil.
2Service of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital Moinhos de Vento, Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
3Ecofetal-Ultrasound Clinic, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
4Pediatrics Service of Moinhos de Vento Hospital, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
5Service of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
ABSTRACT
Introduction: Prematurity is a public health problem in Brazil, with 12% of deliveries
occurring before 37 weeks of gestation. The measurement of the cervix in the
second trimester is already established as a method of screening for
prematurity and some studies point out advantages to start this screening in
the first trimester. Objective: To define the correlation between the
length of the endocervix by transvaginal ultrasound in the first trimester (11
to 14 weeks) with spontaneous early deliveries. Method: A prospective
and observational study realized in a suplementar and private ultrasound clinic
and hospital of Porto Alegre, Brazil between 2019-2020. Ultrasound screening of
cervix was performed in singleton pregnancies in first and second trimester of
pregnancy and correlated with age of delivery. Results: 142 pregnant
women were studied, 80% were in the first pregnancy. The average age was 33.8
years. The rate of prematurity was 18% before 37 weeks and 4% before 34 weeks.
The average of cervix measured in the first and second trimesters in deliveries
before 34 weeks was 32.7 mm and 29.3 mm, respectively. In term deliveries the
median cervical length was 38.8 mm and 37.8 mm, respectively. When analyzing
the measurements of the cervix in the second trimester, the cervix was smaller
(p = 0.008) among deliveries below 34 weeks (29 mm) than
deliveries after 37 weeks. No statistically related differences were found
between preterm birth and first trimester cervix measurements. Conclusions:
In this study, we did not observe a statistically significant relationship
between first trimester cervix measurement and prematurity. More studies are
needed to evaluate this finding. However, the measurement of the cervix in the
second trimester is different from that found in the literature. This suggests a
possible new cut-off point that increases the sensitivity of transvaginal
ultrasound as a method of preventing prematurity.
Share and Cite:
de Oliveira, K. , de Souza, M. , Dürks, P. , Zanatta, M. , Becker Jr., E. and Vettorazzi, J. (2021) Correlation between Endocervical Length in the First Trimester and Spontaneous Preterm Delivery.
Open Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology,
11, 1608-1618. doi:
10.4236/ojog.2021.1111150.
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