The presence of amniotic fluid sludge in pregnant women with a short cervix

What is it about?

Amniotic fluid sludge (AFS) is composed of highly echogenic aggregates of free-floating material found in the amniotic fluid near the cervical canal on ultrasonography. Some studies have reported that the presence of AFS indicates a significant increased risk of preterm delivery compared with the absence of AFS. It is necessary to assess the presence of AFS in women with a short cervix as AFS is often associated with a short cervix. This was a retrospective cohort study to examine whether the presence of AFS increased the risk of preterm delivery in women with a cervical length of less than 25 mm. The presence of AFS was identified as an independent risk factor for preterm delivery before 34 weeks in these women. This finding is novel as there have been very few studies that have examined the risk of preterm delivery in association with AFS among women with a short cervix. The results of this study suggest that a short cervix combined with AFS further increases the risk of preterm birth. Based on our results, women with both a short cervix and AFS need to be observed more carefully than usual.

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