Serial Measurements of Ultrasonic Dimensions of Gravid Maternal Anatomy and Aspirated Cervical Stiffness

Erin Louwagie1, Serena Russell1, Jacqueline C. Hariston, MD2, Chia-Ling Nhan-Chang, MD3, Karin Fuchs, MD, MHA3, Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, MD, MS4, Whitney A. Booker, MD3, Maria Andrikopoulou, MD, PhD3, Alexander M. Friedman, MD3, Noelia Zork, MD3, Ronald J. Wapner, MD3, Joy Vink, MD4, Mirella Mourad, MD3, Kristin Myers, PhD1

1. Columbia University, 2. Northwestern Medicine, 3. Columbia University Irving Medical Center, 4. UC San Diego Health, 5. Hawaii Pacific Health

Inclusion criteria included being 18 years of age or older, carrying an uncomplicated singleton gestation, and being able to provide informed consent.
Exclusion criteria included a current IVF pregnancy, multifetal reduction, history of sPTB, history of cervical surgery (LEEP, cone biopsy, trachelectomy, cerclage), history of significant vaginal bleeding during pregnancy, history of any major abdominal/uterine surgery, history of cesarean section, abnormal pap smear, persistent cramping, persistent uterine contractions, vaginal bleeding at the time of consent, uterine anomalies, systemic or vaginal infections at the time of consent, on progesterone in the first trimester, fibroids, placenta previa or abnormal placentation, ovarian cysts (other than a corpus luteal cyst), and anything in vaginal canal in last 24 hours at the time of the first research visit.

Table 1: Patient demographics and parity.

Figure 1: Ultrasonic measurements used in slope analysis.

Figure 2: Digitized maternal geometry from ultrasonic measurements across gestation.

Figure 3: Estimated fetal weight and estimated uterocervical tissue volume with gestational age

Figure 4: Computational uterine and cervical stretch simulation from late 1st to early 2nd trimester.

This work is supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under award number 1R01HD091153-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.