American researchers have developed a new method to detect changes in the cervix and thus improve the identification of women who may give birth prematurely.
- So-called “quantitative ultrasound”, which is said to work from the 23rd week of pregnancy, measures microstructural changes in the cervix of a pregnant woman using quantitative ultrasound.
- Under this new approach, radiofrequency data from a traditional ultrasound is read and analyzed to determine tissue characteristics.
- It statistically and significantly improves the prediction of the risk of premature birth as the pregnancy progresses.
“Today, clinicians wait for the signs and symptoms of preterm birth, such as rupture of the membrane. If they could know at six months of pregnancy that there is a risk, they would probably make additional consultations to monitor the fetus. But because there was previously no systematic way to assess the risk of premature birth this early, no studies have been done to show what type of intervention would be helpful in delaying labor. Our technique would be helpful in making decisions based on tissue and not just symptoms.” This was stated by Barbara McFarlin at the University of Illinois College of Nursing (USA).
Quantitative ultrasound: data analyzed to determine tissue characteristics
With her team, the researcher found a way to use ultrasound to predict whether a pregnant woman will give birth to her child prematurely. As part of a study, published in the journal American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology MFM, scientists have developed so-called “quantitative ultrasound”, which measures microstructural changes in a woman’s cervix using quantitative ultrasound. This new approach differs from traditional ultrasound, which consists of producing an image from the data received. In the case of quantitative ultrasound, which would work as early as 23 weeks of pregnancy, a traditional ultrasound is performed, but radiofrequency data is read and analyzed to determine tissue characteristics.
Premature birth: an effective method for predicting risk during a first pregnancy
To test the effectiveness of this method, the team recruited 429 women who had given birth without induction at the University of Illinois Hospital. The participants had a quantitative ultrasound scan on two occasions. According to the results, this approach was effective in predicting the risk of premature birth during a first pregnancy. And for future pregnancies, combining quantitative ultrasound data and the pregnant woman’s childbirth history was better at assessing risk than using the patient’s history alone.
