The journal of maternal-fetalneonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians. 29(1)
To determine the prevalence and the clinical significance of amniotic fluid "sludge" (AFS) in asymptomatic patients at low and high risk for spontaneous preterm delivery.A prospective cohort study was conducted on 195 singleton pregnancies at low or high risk for preterm birth (PTB) between the 16th and 26th weeks. Cervical length (CL)25 mm and the presence of AFS were evaluated. The risk for preterm delivery before 28, 32, 35 and 37 weeks were determined according to the presence of AFS, CL 25 mm and history of high risk for PTB. Stepwise logistic regression was performed to compare variables.AFS was an independent risk factor for PTB 35 weeks (OR: 3.08, 95% CI: 1.13-8.34, p = 0.027) but not for PTB 28, 32 and 37 weeks. CL 25 mm was an independent risk factor for PTB 28, 32 and 35 but not for PTB 37 weeks. High risk for PTB was not found as an independent risk factor for PTB.AFS is an independent risk factor for PTB before 35 weeks.