Predictive Values of Fetal Fibronectin and Cervical Length in Spontaneous Preterm Birth

Objective To explore the values of fetal fibronectin(fFN)and cervical length(CL)in the prediction of preterm birth in pregnant women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth.Methods The fFN in cervical secretions was detected by immunoassay and the CL was measured by abdominal ultrasonography in 50 singleton pregnant women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth.The incidence of spontaneous preterm birth was observed in pregnant women with fFN+(n=27),fFN-(n=23),CL≤25mm(n=29)or CL25mm(n=21)before 35 weeks.Results Among the 50 pregnant women,spontaneous preterm birth occurred in 23(46.0%)before 35 weeks.The incidence of preterm birth in fFN+ pregnant women was significantly higher than that in fFN- pregnant women(P0.001).The fFN+ was closely correlated with preterm birth(OR,19.05;95%CI,4.30-84.33,P0.05).The incidence of preterm birth in pregnant women with CL≤25 mm is significantly higher than that in pregnant women with CL25 mm(P0.001).The risk for recurrence of preterm birth was high in pregnant women with CL≤25mm(OR,8.08;95%CI,2.13-30.58,P0.05).Among pregnant women with CL≤25mm,the incidence of preterm birth in fFN+ women was significantly higher than that in fFN- women(P0.001).Among pregnant women with CL25mm,no significant difference in the incidence of preterm birth was found between fFN+ women and fFN- women(P0.05).ConclusionThe combined fFN and CL detection has predictive value for preterm birth in pregnant women with a history of spontaneous preterm birth.