Analysis of risk factors and predictors of pregnancy loss and strategies for the management of cervical insufficiency in pregnant women at a high risk of preterm birth

J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med. 2021 Jul;34(13):2071-2079. doi: 10.1080/14767058.2019.1656195. Epub 2019 Sep 3.

Abstract

Aim: To identify risk factors and predictors of pregnancy loss and to compare the efficacy of Arabin's pessary with cervical cerclage in women at a high risk of pregnancy loss.

Materials and methods: This was a two-center retrospective case-control study that included 240 women at a high risk of preterm delivery. Group I (n = 161) included women who underwent insertion of the Arabin's pessary between 14 and 24 weeks of pregnancy. Group II (n = 79) included women who had undergone circular cervical cerclage during the current pregnancy. All women included in the study received micronized vaginal progesterone at the dose of 200 mg/day until and including 34 weeks of gestation.

Results: Threatened pregnancy loss defined as spotting or vaginal bleeding in the first trimester was diagnosed in 29.8% (48/161) of patients in Group I versus 37.9% in Group II (p = .448). Postpartum bleeding occurred in 8.1% (13/161) in women in Group I versus 22.8% in Group II (χ2 = 6.500; p = .011). Our study showed that cervical cerclage was most suitable for patients with history of obstetric complications, cervical length <15 mm, and large isthmic uterine fibroids. The use of the Arabin's pessary reduced the rate of preterm births by 1.7-fold. A cluster analysis demonstrated that predictors of preterm birth in women with a high risk of pregnancy loss included: threatened pregnancy loss associated with chorionic/placental abruption, cervical incompetence, uterine fibroid growth to a large size, history of multiple spontaneous pregnancy losses, cervical tears during past labor, and gestational diabetes diagnosed for the first time during the current pregnancy.

Conclusions: Women with a high risk of pregnancy loss treated with Arabin's pessary or cerclage plus vaginal progesterone had a term delivery rate of 70.4% (169/240). The combined strategy of pregnancy management allowed to markedly reduce the number of preterm births.

Keywords: Cervical incompetence; circular cervical cerclage; obstetric hemorrhage; obstetric pessary; placenta previa; preterm birth.

MeSH terms

  • Case-Control Studies
  • Cerclage, Cervical*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Infant, Newborn
  • Placenta
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnant Women
  • Premature Birth* / epidemiology
  • Premature Birth* / etiology
  • Premature Birth* / prevention & control
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Risk Factors
  • Uterine Cervical Incompetence* / epidemiology
  • Uterine Cervical Incompetence* / surgery