Transvaginal sonography of cervical width and length during pregnancy

Transvaginal ultrasonography has been proposed as a reliable method of assessing dimensions of the cervix. The purpose of the current investigation was to establish normative data for cervical width and length during pregnancy. This information may be helpful in predicting patients at risk for preterm birth. A transvaginal 5 or 7.5 MHz transducer was used on 132 consecutive low-risk pregnant women undergoing evaluation for gestational dating purposes. Even in cases of patient obesity or an empty bladder, high resolution was possible and permitted cervical measurement in all but one case. The external cervical width at the vaginal fornices was found to increase with advancing gestation (R = 0.512, P < 0.005). The cervical length from internal os to external os was found not to change with advancing gestation (R = 0.11, P = 0.30). Using these normative data, investigation is recommended to determine whether measuring cervical width and length is useful in predicting preterm labor and delivery.