Abstract :
Preterm labor is the major cause of preterm birth that affects 12–18% of all births in India. Cervical shortening or effacement is one of the first steps in the parturition process. In the present study the mean cervical length at 11-14weeks for the term delivered group is 4.04 -0.35cms and the mean cervical length for the preterm delivered group 3.85±0.33 cms. The cervical length at 18-22 weeks was significantly shorter in the group that had preterm deliveries (2.77 cms) than in those who had term deliveries (3.74 cms) (P < 0.001). The cervical length at 18-22 weeks in the group that delivered preterm was significantly shorter than in those who had delivered at term. The mean cervical length showed a gradual decrease from the first to the second scan and an increased risk for preterm delivery was seen in those cases which demonstrated a rapid shortening in cervical length.
Keyword :
Cervical length, Preterm labor, Predictive value, Transvaginal ultrasound