Short cervix and vaginal progesterone: a model on how to tackle the problem of idiopathic preterm labor

David F Lewis1, Susan L Baker, Robert Stauffer

  • 1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of South Alabama, 251 Cox Street, Room 1101, Mobile, AL 36604, USA. davidlewis@usouthal.edu

Preterm deliveries continue to be a major problem in obstetrics and pediatrics. Short cervical length has been identified as the most accurate way to predict preterm delivery. Recently, vaginally administered progesterone has been shown in separate studies to dramatically decrease the prematurity rate in patients with a short cervix. The research that came to this conclusion is a good model to be used to approach other etiologies of preterm labor and delivery.

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