Current Preterm Birth Prevention Strategies.

Preterm birth remains a major issue in obstetrics. Despite efforts to reduce the incidence of preterm delivery, rates in the United States remain high at 10.2% of all live births with an incidence of 10.8% globally. Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality worldwide. It is also the leading cause of death in children younger than 5 years. Research into this important health topic has allowed for the identification of risk factors for preterm birth, the most important of which is a history of prior preterm birth. Cervical length screening may allow us to identify those at greatest risk of recurrent preterm birth as well as a de novo risk in women with no prior preterm birth history.