Cervical light-induced fluorescence in humans decreases throughout gestation and before delivery: Preliminary observations

• Published in: American journal of obstetrics and gynecology Vol. 188; no. 2; pp. 537 - 541
• Main Authors: Maul, Holger, Olson, Gayle, Fittkow, Cordula T., Saade, George R., Garfield, Robert E.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia, PA Elsevier Inc 01.02.2003; Elsevier
• Subjects: Biological and medical sciences; Cervical ripening; Cervix Uteri - physiology; Cervix Uteri - radiation effects; Delivery, Obstetric; Female; Fluorescence; Forecasting; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Gestational Age; Humans; labor; Light; light-induced fluorescence; Mother. Fetoplacental unit. Mammary gland. Milk; Pregnancy; Pregnancy. Parturition. Lactation; Sensitivity and Specificity; Time Factors; Vertebrates: reproduction; Cervical ripening; light-induced fluorescence; labor; Human; Statistical analysis; Healthy subject; Fluorescence; Change; Uterine cervix; Gestational age; Ripening; Decrease; Light; Female; Delivery
• ISSN: 0002-9378; 1097-6868
• DOI: 10.1067/mob.2003.94

Objective: The purpose of this study was to investigate gestational changes of cervical light-induced fluorescence, an index of cross-linked collagen, and the relationship between light-induced fluorescence and the time-to-delivery interval. Study design: Fifty patients were included in one of two groups. (1) Twenty-one healthy pregnant women without signs of labor underwent repeated cervical light-induced fluorescence measurement during the last trimester. (2) Light-induced fluorescence was measured in 29 patients with signs of labor, and the time from measurement to delivery was noted. Cervical light-induced fluorescence was obtained noninvasively with a prototype instrument that was designed specifically for this purpose. Spearman correlation and the Student t test and receiver-operator characteristics analysis were performed (P < .05). Results: Light-induced fluorescence correlated negatively with gestational age and positively with time-to-delivery interval, was significantly lower in patients who were delivered <24 hours compared with those patients who were delivered >24 hours later, and was predictive of delivery within 24 hours. Conclusion: Cervical light-induced fluorescence decreases significantly as gestational age increases. Light-induced fluorescence may be a useful tool to identify patients in whom delivery is imminent. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003;188:537-41.)