CHICAGO – Transvaginal ultrasound measures of cervical length at 16-22 weeks gestation can identify patients who have a short cervix and are at risk of preterm birth, allowing selection of patients for vaginal progesterone therapy.
At the annual meeting of the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Dr. Eric Strand, director of the division of general obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University, St. Louis, interviews Dr. George Andrew Macones, the Mitchell and Elaine Yanow Professor and chair of the department of obstetrics and gynecology at Washington University, about these findings and how clinicians can get free training in performing transvaginal screening to determine cervical length. Dr. Macones presented the March of Dimes Annual Lecture entitled "Preventing Preterm Birth: Recent Progress and Future Directions."