Quantitative cervicovaginal fetal fibronectin as a predictor of cervical ripening and induced labour duration in late-term pregnancy

We evaluated quantitative cervicovaginal foetal-fibronectin as a predictor of cervical ripening and labour duration in late-term pregnant women with an unfavourable cervix. This was an analytical cross-sectional study wherein 152 women, with late-term pregnancy and unfavourable cervix, at 41weeks3days gestational age, had pre-induction quantitative cervicovaginal foetal-fibronectin determined using ELISA. Data were compared in nulliparas and multiparas at a significance level &lt; 0.05. The mean age of late-term pregnant women was 30.4 ± 4.3 years. Median cervicovaginal foetal-fibronectin levels in nulliparous and multiparous women were 45.35 ng/ml and 46.93 ng/ml respectively(p = 0.289). The correlation between foetal-fibronectin levels and cervical ripening duration was poor in nulliparous(r = 0.014) and multiparous(r = 0.024) women. The Youden’s foetal-fibronectin cut-off level had a sensitivity of 53.5% and specificity of 71.6% in predicting cervical ripening duration of &gt; 12 hours in late-term pregnancy with an area under the ROC curve of 0.634. Quantitative cervicovaginal foetal-fibronectin is a poor correlate and predictor of cervical ripening and induced labour duration in late-term pregnancy.IMPACT STATEMENT<b>What is already known on this subject?</b> Cervicovaginal foetal fibronectin is useful in the prediction of preterm delivery but its role in prolonged pregnancy is unclear.<b>What the results of this study add?</b> Cervicovaginal foetal fibronectin is a poor correlate and predictor of cervical ripening and induced labour duration in late-term pregnancy<b>What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research?</b> Cervicovaginal fibronectin should not be used to predict ease and success of cervical ripening and induction of labour in women with late-term pregnancy. <b>What is already known on this subject?</b> Cervicovaginal foetal fibronectin is useful in the prediction of preterm delivery but its role in prolonged pregnancy is unclear. <b>What the results of this study add?</b> Cervicovaginal foetal fibronectin is a poor correlate and predictor of cervical ripening and induced labour duration in late-term pregnancy <b>What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research?</b> Cervicovaginal fibronectin should not be used to predict ease and success of cervical ripening and induction of labour in women with late-term pregnancy.