Key clinical point: Presence of amniotic fluid sludge (AFS) in the midtrimester may serve as an additional ultrasound index for predicting preterm birth in women with a short cervical length (CL; ≤25 mm) who have undergone cervical cerclage.
Main finding: In patients who underwent cerclage, AFS and short CL were associated with preterm birth at <28 weeks and <36 weeks (all P < .05). In women with a short CL, the presence of AFS was significantly associated with short gestational age at delivery even after adjusting for possible confounders (adjusted hazard ratio 2.45; 95% CI 1.7-3.5).
Study details: This was a single-center retrospective cohort study involving 296 singleton pregnant women who underwent McDonald cerclage for cervical insufficiency, transvaginal ultrasound-diagnosed short CL, or cervical dilatation with amniotic sac bulging, followed by evaluation of the presence of AFS and CL at 14-24 weeks of gestation within 2 weeks after cerclage.
Disclosures: The authors reported no source of funding or conflict of interests concerning the study.
Source: Huang Y et al. J Ultrasound Med. 2022 (Feb 2). Doi: 10.1002/jum.15952.