Objective:To explore the surgical efficacy of cervical cerclage with cervical length (CL) <10 mm and emergency cerclage.Methods:From January 2013 to June 2022, a total of 98 singleton pregnant women who underwent ultrasound-indicated cervical cerclage because of CL<10 mm in the second trimester and underwent emergency cervical cerclage because of cervical dilation found by physical examination in Peking University First Hospital were enrolled. The differences in clinical data between the <34 weeks delivery group (25 cases) and the ≥34 weeks delivery group (73 cases) were compared. Meanwhile, according to different cervical status, they were divided into CL<10 mm group (43 cases) and cervical dilatation group (55 cases), and the cervical dilatation group was further divided into cervical dilatation <4 cm group and cervical dilatation ≥4 cm group. The clinical data and pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women with different cervical status were compared.Results:(1) There were significant differences in the proportion of preoperative CL<10 mm and the degree of preoperative cervical dilation between the <34 weeks delivery group and the ≥34 weeks delivery group (all P<0.05). (2) After cervical cerclage, compared with women in the cervical dilatation group, the prolonged gestational age in the CL<10 mm group was longer [(10.5±4.6) vs (14.3±3.4) weeks], the gestational age at delivery was later (median: 35.7 vs 38.0 weeks), the preterm birth rates before 37 and 34 weeks were lower, the late abortion rate was lower [9% (5/55) vs 0 (0/43)], and the newborn birth weight was higher, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (3) Compared with the cervical dilation ≥4 cm group, the prolonged gestational age of the cervical dilatation <4 cm group was longer [(7.5±5.3) vs (11.1±4.2) weeks], the gestational age at delivery was later (median: 29.2 vs 36.0 weeks), and the birth weight of the newborn was higher (all P<0.05). The late abortion rate of cervical dilatation <4 cm group was lower than that of cervical dilatation ≥4 cm group [7% (3/45) vs 2/10; P=0.220]. Conclusions:Timely cervical cerclage in individuals with CL<10 mm could reduce preterm birth rate before 34 weeks gestation, and the pregnancy outcome is better than that of individuals with cervical dilation. Moreover, the pregnancy outcome of cervical cerclage in women with cervical dilation <4 cm is significantly better than that in women with cervical dilatation ≥4 cm.

Objective:To explore the surgical efficacy of cervical cerclage with cervical length (CL) <10 mm and emergency cerclage.Methods:From January 2013 to June 2022, a total of 98 singleton pregnant women who underwent ultrasound-indicated cervical cerclage because of CL<10 mm in the second trimester and underwent emergency cervical cerclage because of cervical dilation found by physical examination in Peking University First Hospital were enrolled. The differences in clinical data between the <34 weeks delivery group (25 cases) and the ≥34 weeks delivery group (73 cases) were compared. Meanwhile, according to different cervical status, they were divided into CL<10 mm group (43 cases) and cervical dilatation group (55 cases), and the cervical dilatation group was further divided into cervical dilatation <4 cm group and cervical dilatation ≥4 cm group. The clinical data and pregnancy outcomes of pregnant women with different cervical status were compared.Results:(1) There were significant differences in the proportion of preoperative CL<10 mm and the degree of preoperative cervical dilation between the <34 weeks delivery group and the ≥34 weeks delivery group (all P<0.05). (2) After cervical cerclage, compared with women in the cervical dilatation group, the prolonged gestational age in the CL<10 mm group was longer [(10.5±4.6) vs (14.3±3.4) weeks], the gestational age at delivery was later (median: 35.7 vs 38.0 weeks), the preterm birth rates before 37 and 34 weeks were lower, the late abortion rate was lower [9% (5/55) vs 0 (0/43)], and the newborn birth weight was higher, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). (3) Compared with the cervical dilation ≥4 cm group, the prolonged gestational age of the cervical dilatation <4 cm group was longer [(7.5±5.3) vs (11.1±4.2) weeks], the gestational age at delivery was later (median: 29.2 vs 36.0 weeks), and the birth weight of the newborn was higher (all P<0.05). The late abortion rate of cervical dilatation <4 cm group was lower than that of cervical dilatation ≥4 cm group [7% (3/45) vs 2/10; P=0.220]. Conclusions:Timely cervical cerclage in individuals with CL<10 mm could reduce preterm birth rate before 34 weeks gestation, and the pregnancy outcome is better than that of individuals with cervical dilation. Moreover, the pregnancy outcome of cervical cerclage in women with cervical dilation <4 cm is significantly better than that in women with cervical dilatation ≥4 cm.

Objective:To explore the feasibility of expectant management in pregnant women with preterm premature rupture of membranes (PPROM) before 28 weeks of gestation.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 92 pregnant women diagnosed with PPROM before 28 weeks and delivered in Peking University First Hospital from January 2015 to March 2023. These women were divided into the termination group or expectant management group, and the latter was further divided based on whether the rupture of membranes occurred before 24 weeks or after. Clinical data of the women and neonates between the two groups and the two subgroups were analyzed. Additionally, all the subjects were divided based on the presence or absence of severe neonatal complications and clinical data of the mothers and their neonates were also analyzed. Statistical analyses were performed using t-tests, Mann-Whitney U tests, Chi-square tests, or Fisher's exact tests. Results:(1) Among the 92 women with PPROM, 53 (57.6%) chose to terminate the pregnancy, while 39 (42.4%) chose expectant management including ten twins and 29 singletons. (2) Compared to the termination group, the expectant management group had a smaller percentage of multiparous women [7.7% (3/39) vs. 32.1% (17/53), Fisher's exact test, P=0.019], greater gestational age at membrane rupture [24 +6 weeks (18-27 +6) weeks vs.21 +3weeks (14 +2-27 weeks), Z=53.14, P=0.042], and a lower incidence of oligohydramnios after membrane rupture [46.2% (18/39) vs. 84.9% (45/53), χ2=6.56, P=0.031]. (3) All of the 39 women in the expectant group gave birth before 37 weeks with the mean gestational age at delivery of 28 +1weeks (25 +1-36 +1 weeks) and 49 live born babies, among which four neonates died giving the survival rate of 91.8%(45/49). There were no statistically significant differences in gestational age at delivery or neonatal outcomes between women with membrane rupture before 24 weeks and those ruptured between 24 and 27 weeks and 6 days of gestation (all P>0.05), but the expectant duration was significantly longer in the former group [55.0 d (20.0-96.0 d) vs. 9.0 d (0.5-52.0 d ), Z=－4.95, P<0.001]. (4) The 49 neonates were further divided into with ( n=9, including the death) or without ( n=40) severe complication subgroups. Those neonates in the non-severe complication subgroup had a significantly greater gestational age at birth compared to those in the other subgroup [30 +6 weeks (27 +5-36 +4 weeks) vs. 27 +5 weeks (25 +1-31 +5 weeks), Z=－3.42, P=0.001], a longer expectant duration [42.0 d (3.0-80.0 d) vs. 19.0 d (0.5-59.0 d), Z=－2.31, P=0.021], a higher birth weight [(1 630±544) g vs. (1 069±272) g, t=4.56, P=0.009], a lower incidence of neonatal asphyxia [2/9 vs. 70.0% (28/40), Fisher's exact test, P=0.012], a shorter hospital stay [37.5 d (3.0-54.0 d) vs. 67.0 d (60.0-105.0 d), Z=－3.01, P=0.003] and a higher proportion of pregnancies completing two courses of fetal lung maturation [5/9 vs. 17.5% (7/40), Fisher's exact test, P=0.029]. (5) Among the ten twin pregnancies, all the 20 babies developed severe complication resulting a higher proportion of twins in the severe complication group than in the non-severe complication group [50% (20/40) vs. 0/9, Fisher's exact test, P=0.005]. Conclusions:For pregnant women with PPROM before 28 weeks, under the premise of informed consent and thorough evaluation, expectant management can be considered if there are no indications for immediate termination of pregnancy, to achieve a higher neonatal survival rate. However, the incidence of severe complications related to preterm infants remains high in the short term, with most having a good prognosis after treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit. Twin pregnancies and lower gestational age at birth are risk factors for severe complications in preterm infants.