Catatan

Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal mortality and morbidity, as well as
the most common reason for antenatal maternal hospitalization. Preterm labor is
defined as regular uterine contractions associated with cervical changes (cervical
dilatation ≥2 cm and effacement) that start before 37 weeks of gestation.
However, the diagnosis of threatened preterm labor is imprecise to identify
women who will give birth preterm infants in near future. In the last few decades,
more subjective parameters are used, which include cervical length measured by

transvaginal ultrasonography, fetal fibronectin concentrations of the cervicovagi-
nal secretions, and the combination of the two tests. Prospective studies show

that shorter cervical length (15–30 mm or less) is significantly associated with
spontaneous preterm delivery. Systematic reviews show that fetal fibronectin

measurement combined with shorter cervical length has a high negative predic-
tive value (>98%) for delivery within 7 days but a low positive predictive value

(30–50%). The prenatal caregivers should take full advantage of the high nega-
tive predictive value of the combined test for women with threatened preterm