Cervical softening occurs early in pregnancy: characterization of cervical stiffness using the aspiration technique

Introduction: During pregnancy the cervix remains firm and closed. At term, the cervix must allow delivery, which requires it to soften, shorten and dilate. Critical problems occur when the timing and extent of the mechanical changes are altered. The objective of our research is to quantitatively describe the changes in cervical stiffness and the relation to cervical length in normal pregnancy, and thus contribute to a better understanding of cervical insufficiency. Material and methods: A device has been developed at ETH Zurich to measure cervical stiffness using the aspiration method. The probe is vaginally po…