Unfortunately, there is no way to diagnose cervical incompetence before a pregnancy. If a woman is diagnosed with cervical incompetence during one pregnancy, she has an incompetent cervix which is a factor in subsequent pregnancies. If a cervix begins to dilate and the problem is caught early, the physician may try to delay birth. If measures fail, miscarriage or premature birth will occur. Unfortunately, in most cases after the cervix begins to dilate, medical science cannot sustain the pregnancy for very long, although measures will be taken to delay birth in order to help the fetus�?lungs mature. If a woman has been diagnosed with cervical incompetence in a previous pregnancy, the physician may "stitch" the cervix to keep the opening closed during subsequent pregnancies. In a procedure called cerclage, sutures are placed above the opening of the cervix to narrow the canal and reinforce the cervical muscle. The sutures may stay in place or be removed as the pregnancy approaches term, depending on the type of cerclage that was used. Generally, cerclage is done before 20 weeks of pregnancy. Even with cerclage, a woman with an incompetent cervix has a 25% risk for preterm birth. Commonly, a woman requires bed rest and treatment for preterm labor during the pregnancy. |