Sonographic Measurement of Cervical Length and Its Relation to the Onset of Spontaneous Labour and the Mode of Delivery Publisher Pubmed



Giyahi H¹ ; Marsosi V² ; Faghihzadeh S³ ; Kalbasi M⁴ ; Lamyian M⁵
Source: National Medical Journal of India Published:2018

Abstract

Background. We aimed to investigate the relationship between cervical length at 37 weeks of pregnancy and the onset of spontaneous labour as well as mode of delivery. Methods. We did a prospective observational study of 126 low-risk pregnant women with cephalic presentation who were not in labour, attending a south Tehran health centre for prenatal care. The length of the cervix was measured using transvaginal ultrasound (10 MHz endovaginal transducer) by a single sonographer at 37 weeks of gestation. The outcomes were the onset of spontaneous labour and the mode of delivery. Results. The mean cervical length was 26.1 mm (range 10-51 mm), with a non-significant difference between nulliparous and parous women (p=0.36). There was a significant association between cervical length and onset of spontaneous labour (r=0.33, p<0.001). When controlled for parity, maternal height and onset of spontaneous labour, cervical length did not predict the mode of delivery (p=0.79). Conclusion. Measurement of cervical length at 37 weeks could predict the onset of spontaneous labour, but it failed to predict the mode of delivery. © The National Medical Journal of India 2018.