Cervical polyps in pregnant women pose significant risk of preterm delivery

Pregnant women with cervical polyps detected within the first trimester of pregnancy are at high risk of having spontaneous preterm birth before 34 weeks of gestation, according to a study.

Researchers reviewed the medical records of 4,172 pregnant women who underwent a routine vaginal speculum examination during a prenatal visit before 12 weeks of gestation. A cervical polyp detected on speculum examination was managed expectantly unless gynaecologic malignancy was suspected.

None of the women included in the study had multiple gestations, loss or termination of pregnancy before 12 weeks of gestation, major foetal anomalies, foetal chromosomal abnormalities, foetal demise, undergone removal of cervical polyps before the first visit to the hospital, and had moved to other hospitals before delivery.

A total of 92 (2.2 percent) women had a cervical polyp detected before 12 weeks of gestation. None of them underwent polypectomy during pregnancy.

Pregnant women with cervical polyps had significantly higher incidence of spontaneous preterm birth before 34 weeks of gestation relative to their counterparts who had no polyps (5.4 percent vs 0.7 percent; p<0.01).

Logistic regression analysis confirmed that cervical polyps were an independent risk factor for spontaneous preterm birth before 34 weeks of gestation (adjusted odds ratio, 4.09, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.70–9.81; p<0.01). Pregnant women with cervical polyps had about threefold increased risk of the said outcome compared with women without polyps (hazard ratio, 2.95, 95 percent CI, 1.32–6.62; p<0.01).