Posts Tagged ‘cerclage’

What does it mean to have a short cervix?

Wednesday, November 15th, 2017

A short cervix means the length of your cervix is shorter than normal. To be more specific, a short cervix is one that is shorter than 25 millimeters (about 1 inch) before 24 weeks of pregnancy.

Why is the length important?

If you have a short cervix, you have a 1-in-2 chance (50 percent) of having a premature birth, before 37 weeks of pregnancy. So if you have a short cervix and you’re pregnant with just one baby, your health care provider may recommend these treatments to help you stay pregnant longer:

  • Cerclage
  • Vaginal progesterone. Progesterone is a hormone that helps prepare your body for pregnancy. It may help prevent premature birth if you have a short cervix and you’re pregnant with just one baby. You insert it in your vagina every day starting before or up to 24 weeks of pregnancy, and you stop taking it just before 37 weeks.

If your provider thinks you have a short cervix, she may check you regularly with ultrasound.

How do you know if you have a short cervix?

Checking for a short cervix is not a routine prenatal test. Your provider probably doesn’t check your cervical length unless:

  • She has a reason to think it may be short.
  • You have signs of preterm labor. This is labor that begins too soon, before 37 weeks of pregnancy.
  • You have risk factors for premature birth, like you had a premature birth in the past or you have a family history of premature birth (premature birth runs in your family).

What makes a cervix short?

Many things can affect the length of your cervix, including:

  • Having an overdistended (stretched or enlarged) uterus
  • Problems caused by bleeding during pregnancy or inflammation (irritation) of the uterus
  • Infection
  • Cervical insufficiency

Read about our own Health Education Specialist Juviza’s personal experience being pregnant with a short cervix and her new connection to the March of Dimes’ mission.

Pregnancy after a premature birth

Friday, November 13th, 2015



When to get pregnant again


Manage preexisting health conditions


Prevent infections


Treatments for preterm labor




Have questions? Text or email us at AskUs@marchofdimes.org.

What is cervical insufficiency?

Monday, August 16th, 2010

Cervical insufficiency (sometimes called incompetent cervix) refers to a cervix that opens too early during pregnancy, usually without pain and contractions. This most often occurs in the second or early third trimester of pregnancy, resulting in late miscarriage or premature birth. A woman may be diagnosed with cervical insufficiency based largely on this history. There is no specific diagnostic test.

Medical experts don’t always know why cervical insufficiency occurs. Factors that may contribute include:
• Uterine defects: Women with certain uterine defects, such as bicornuate uterus (two cavities), are more likely to have cervical insufficiency than women without these defects.
• History of surgical procedures involving the cervix: These include LEEP (loop electrosurgical excision procedure), which is used to diagnose and treat abnormal cells found during a Pap test.
• Injuries during a previous birth.
• Short cervix: The shorter the cervix, the more likely the woman is to have cervical insufficiency. In some cases, a short cervix can be congenital.

Miscarriage and premature birth due to cervical insufficiency frequently happen again in another pregnancy. These problems can sometimes be prevented with a procedure called cerclage, in which the provider places a stitch in the cervix to keep it from opening too early. The provider removes the stitch when the woman is ready to give birth.

It is not always clear which women will benefit from cerclage. This is because there is no specific test for cervical insufficiency, and many women who have had a late miscarriage or early premature birth go on to have normal pregnancies without treatment. Some studies suggest that cerclage is most likely to be beneficial in women who have had three or more late miscarriages or premature births. In some cases, providers may monitor a woman suspected of having cervical insufficiency with repeated vaginal ultrasounds to see if her cervix is shortening or showing other signs that she may give birth soon. The provider may recommend cerclage if these changes occur.

Some women learn that they have a short cervix during a routine ultrasound. Most of these women do not end up having a premature birth. However, short cervix, especially a very short cervix (less than 15 millimeters), does increase her risk of premature birth. Studies suggest that treatment with the hormone progesterone (17P) may help reduce the risk of premature birth in women with a very short cervix. According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), progesterone treatment may be considered for these women. However, ACOG does not recommend routine cervical-length screening for low-risk women.