Pregnancy Outcomes in Patients with Cervical Cerclage

Abstract

Background: Cervical insufficiency is an important cause of second-trimester pregnancy loss and spontaneous preterm birth, and cervical cerclage is commonly used to reduce these risks in high-risk pregnancies. Objective: To assess pregnancy outcomes in women with cervical insufficiency who underwent cervical cerclage at a tertiary care hospital and to describe the maternal demographic and clinical factors associated with these outcomes. Methods: This descriptive observational study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Saidu Group of Teaching Hospital, Swat, after ethical approval. A total of 76 women aged 18-40 years with cervical insufficiency who underwent cerclage were included. Baseline data including age, body mass index, socio-economic status, residence, hypertension, and diabetes were recorded. Pregnancy outcomes were assessed in terms of miscarriage and preterm birth before 37 completed weeks. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS version 25 with descriptive statistics. Results: Miscarriage occurred in 23 of 76 patients (30.3%), while preterm birth occurred in 15 patients (19.7%). Women aged 26-35 years constituted 50.0% of the cohort. Body mass index below 25 kg/m² was observed in 55.3% of participants, hypertension in 19.7%, and diabetes in 14.5%. Lower socio-economic status was present in 39.5% and rural residence in 44.7% of patients. Conclusion: Cervical cerclage remains a valuable intervention in cervical insufficiency, but substantial residual risk of miscarriage and preterm birth persists, particularly in women with additional maternal and contextual risk factors.