ULTRASOUND FEATURES AND PREDICTIVE VALUE FOR SPONTANEOUS PRETERM BIRTH IN WOMEN WITH SYMPTOMS OF PRETERM LABOR AT VINMEC TIMES CITY INTERNATIONAL GENERAL HOSPITAL
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Abstract
Objective: To describe ultrasonographic characteristics and evaluate the predictive value of selected ultrasound findings for spontaneous preterm birth in pregnant women presenting with symptoms of threatened preterm labor at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital.
Subjects and methods: This prospective cohort study included 63 women with singleton pregnancies between 24+0 and 36+6 weeks of gestation who presented with symptoms suggestive of preterm labor at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital from January to December 2025.
Results: The mean maternal age was 30.4 ± 4.7 years and the mean gestational age at ultrasound examination was 30.8 ± 3.3 weeks. The mean cervical length was 29.1 ± 7.5 mm. Cervical length ≤25 mm was observed in 18/63 women (28.6%), funneling in 17 (27.0%), and amniotic fluid sludge in 8 (12.7%). Ten women (15.9%) delivered spontaneously within 7 days and 20 (31.7%) delivered spontaneously before 37 weeks. Women who delivered within 7 days had significantly shorter cervical length than those who did not (21.8 ± 5.6 mm vs. 30.5 ± 7.2 mm; p<0.001). At a cervical-length threshold of ≤25 mm, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy for delivery within 7 days were 80.0%, 90.6%, 61.5%, 96.0% and 88.9%, respectively. The AUC for cervical length was 0.871 (95% CI: 0.778–0.964; p<0.001). Funneling and amniotic fluid sludge were also significantly associated with delivery within 7 days (p=0.001 and p=0.018, respectively).
Conclusion: In women with symptoms of preterm labor, short cervical length, funneling and amniotic fluid sludge were associated with early delivery. Transvaginal cervical length showed good discriminatory performance for delivery within 7 days and may be used as an important component of risk assessment in combination with clinical findings and other risk factors.
Keywords
Threatened preterm labor, spontaneous preterm birth, transvaginal ultrasound, cervical length, funneling, amniotic fluid sludge
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References
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