Table 4.
Preterm birth clinic referral criteria
| Referral criteria (non-exclusive) | Number of clinics (%) n = 38 a |
|---|---|
| Previous spontaneous preterm birth | 38 (100) |
| < 37 weeks | 6 (16) |
| < 35 weeks | 2 (5) |
| < 34 weeks | 20 (53) |
| < 32 weeks | 4 (11) |
| < 28 weeks | 1 (3) |
| Other | 1 (3) |
| No gestational limit reported | 4 (11) |
| Previous late miscarriage/mid-trimester loss | 34 (89) b |
| ≥ 16 weeks | 2 (5) |
| No gestational limit reported | 32 (84) |
| Previous PPROM | 30 (79) |
| < 37 weeks | 5 (13) |
| < 34 weeks | 17 (45) |
| < 32 weeks | 4 (11) |
| < 28 weeks | 2 (5) |
| Other | 1 (3) |
| No gestational limit reported | 1 (3) |
| Previous cervical surgery (non-exclusive) | 33 (87) |
| 1 LLETZ or no number stated | 16 (42) |
| ≥ 2 LLETZ | 32 (84) |
| Knife cone biopsy | 33 (87) |
| Not further defined | 1 (3) |
| Other gynaecological procedures (non-exclusive) | 1 (3) |
| ≥ 3 Surgical termination of pregnancy | 1 (3) |
| ≥ 4 Dilatation and curettage | 1 (3) |
| Previous cervical cerclage | 1 (3) |
| Uterine abnormality/malformation | 27 (71) |
| Short cervix in current pregnancy | 31 (82) |
| < 25 mm | 1 (3) |
| < 3rd centile for gestation | 1 (3) |
| ‘Short’ cervix not further defined | 29 (76) |
| Follow up for threatened preterm labour | 4 (11) |
| Previous stillbirth or neonatal death | 1 (3) |
| Autoimmune conditions | 1 (3) |
| Placental risk factors | 1 (3) |
| Multiple pregnancy | 0 (0) |
UK United Kingdom, PPROM preterm pre-labour rupture of membranes, LLETZ large loop excision of the transformation zone
a Data not available for one clinic
b Includes 29 clinics who accepted referrals for recurrent second trimester miscarriage as referral for a single second trimester miscarriage not reported in Care 2019