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Poster Session 4

Category: Prematurity

Poster Session 4

(1172) Obstetric outcomes following cerclage placement in multiparous patients with and without a prior preterm birth

Thursday, February 12, 2026

3:30 PM - 5:00 PM

Presenting Author(s)

Marja McLaughlin, MD

Obstetrics and Gynecology Resident
University of Minnesota
Mendota Heights, Minnesota, United States

Coauthor(s)

HI

Habibatu Ighile

Medical Student
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Suzanne O'Nan, MD (she/her/hers)

Maternal Fetal Medicine Fellow
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
Sarah A. Wernimont, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States
KT

Katelyn M. Tessier, MS

Senior Biostatistician
University of Minnesota Masonic Cancer Center
University of Minnesota, Minneapolis MN, Minnesota, United States

Submitting Author(s)

Martina S. Burn, MD

Assistant Professor
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States

Objective:
Obstetric history is a known risk factor for preterm birth (PTB). Our aim was to investigate whether a previous term delivery decreases the odds of PTB among multiparous patients undergoing cerclage placement.

Study Design:
This was a retrospective cohort study of multiparous patients with a singleton gestation who underwent cerclage placement between 16-24 weeks gestation due to cervical dilation (≥1cm) or significant cervical shortening (< 10mm) between 2011-2024 in an academic health system. Individuals were categorized by obstetric history based on prior term birth or any prior PTB. The primary outcome was spontaneous PTB < 32 weeks. Secondary outcomes included gestational age at delivery, living status at birth, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admission, and NICU length of stay. Bivariate analyses and multivariable logistic regressions were performed.

Results:
Among 67 identified individuals, 39 (58%) had no history of PTB and 28 (42%) had a history of PTB. Those with a prior term birth were more likely to have a shorter cervix [median (IQR) 6.2mm (0, 10.0) vs. 17.0mm (8.0, 20.6), p< 0.001], increased cervical dilation [median (IQR) 1.0cm (1.0, 2.2) vs. 1.0cm (1.0, 1.0), p=0.009] and prolapsing membranes (44% vs 4%, p< 0.001) at the time of cerclage placement (Table 1). There was no difference in rates of PTB < 32 weeks among patients without a PTB history compared to patients with a PTB history (21% vs. 14%, p=0.512; OR 1.55, 95% CI 0.43-6.37) (Table 2). Even after adjusting for baseline differences in cervical length at time of cerclage placement, there remained no difference in odds of PTB < 32 weeks between patients without and with a prior PTB (aOR 0.88, 95% CI 0.2-4.15). Furthermore, there were no differences in any secondary outcomes between the two groups (Table 2).

Conclusion:
Among multiparous patients who underwent cerclage placement, a history of a prior term birth was not protective against PTB < 32 weeks. This study highlights that once the process of cervical shortening/dilation occurs, the risk of PTB does not differ based on prior obstetric history.