{"id":886,"date":"2020-04-26T22:58:00","date_gmt":"2020-04-27T04:58:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/?p=886"},"modified":"2022-06-09T15:00:21","modified_gmt":"2022-06-09T21:00:21","slug":"incompetent-cervix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/getting-pregnant\/incompetent-cervix\/","title":{"rendered":"Incompetent Cervix: Weakened Cervix"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>During pregnancy, as the baby grows and gets heavier, it presses\u00a0on the cervix. This pressure may cause the cervix to start to open\u00a0before the baby is ready to be born. This condition is called <strong>incompetent\u00a0cervix<\/strong> or <strong>weakened cervix<\/strong>, and it may lead to a <a href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/healthy-pregnancy\/pregnancy-complications\/signs-of-miscarriage\/\">miscarriage<\/a> or premature\u00a0delivery. However, an incompetent cervix happens in only about <strong>1 out\u00a0of 100 pregnancies<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>Carrying your developing baby to full term is the objective of any pregnancy. \u00a0Most losses during the <a title=\"Fetal Development: First Trimester\" href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/while-pregnant\/first-trimester\/\">first trimester<\/a> are because of chromosomal abnormalities. <a title=\"Fetal Development: Second Trimester\" href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/while-pregnant\/second-trimester\/\">Second trimester<\/a> or later losses are often a result of an incompetent cervix.<\/p>\n<h2>What causes an incompetent or weakened cervix?<\/h2>\n<p><strong>A weakened cervix can be caused by one or more of the following<\/strong>\u00a0<strong>conditions:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Previous surgery on the cervix<\/li>\n<li>Damage during a difficult birth<\/li>\n<li>Malformed cervix or uterus from a <a title=\"Birth Defect\" href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/birth-defects\/\">birth\u00a0defect<\/a><\/li>\n<li>Previous trauma to the cervix, such as a\u00a0<a title=\"D&amp;C Procedure After a Miscarriage\" href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/pregnancy-complications\/d-and-c-procedure-after-miscarriage\/\">D&amp;C<\/a> (dilation and curettage) from termination or a <a href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/healthy-pregnancy\/pregnancy-complications\/signs-of-miscarriage\/\">miscarriage<\/a><\/li>\n<li>DES (Diethylstilbestrol) exposure<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>How will I know if I have an incompetent cervix?<\/h3>\n<p>Incompetent cervix is not routinely checked for during pregnancy\u00a0and therefore is not usually diagnosed until after a second or <a title=\"Fetal Development : Third Trimester\" href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/while-pregnant\/third-trimester\/\">third-trimester<\/a> miscarriage has occurred. Women can be evaluated before pregnancy, or in early pregnancy by ultrasound if they have any of the factors that are potential causes of incompetent cervix. Diagnosis can be made by your physician though a pelvic exam or by an <a title=\"Ultrasound: Sonogram\" href=\" https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/prenataltesting\/ultrasound.html\">ultrasound<\/a>. The ultrasound would be used to\u00a0measure the cervical opening or the length of the cervix.<\/p>\n<h3>How often does an incompetent cervix happen?<\/h3>\n<p>An incompetent or weakened cervix happens in about 1-2% of pregnancies. \u00a0Almost 25% of babies miscarried in the second trimester are due to\u00a0incompetent cervix.<\/p>\n<h3>Prevention<\/h3>\n<p>You can&#8217;t prevent an incompetent cervix \u2014 but the experts at the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.mayoclinic.org\/diseases-conditions\/incompetent-cervix\/symptoms-causes\/syc-20373836\">Mayo Clinic<\/a> suggest the following tips to help promote a healthy, full-term pregnancy.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Seek regular prenatal care.<\/strong> Prenatal visits can help your doctor monitor your health and your baby&#8217;s health. Mention any signs or symptoms that concern you, even if they seem silly or unimportant.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Eat a healthy diet.<\/strong> During pregnancy, you&#8217;ll need more folic acid, calcium, iron and other essential nutrients. A daily prenatal vitamin \u2014 ideally starting a few months before conception \u2014 can help fill any dietary gaps.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Gain weight wisely.<\/strong> Gaining the right amount of weight can support your baby&#8217;s health. A weight gain of 25 to 35 pounds (about 11 to 16 kilograms) is often recommended for women who have a healthy weight before pregnancy.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Avoid risky substances.<\/strong> If you smoke, quit. Alcohol and illegal drugs are off-limits, too. In addition, get your doctor&#8217;s OK before taking any medications or supplements \u2014 even those available over-the-counter.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>What treatment options are available?<\/h3>\n<p>The treatment for an incompetent or weakened cervix is a procedure\u00a0that sews the cervix closed to reinforce the weak cervix. This procedure\u00a0is called a cerclage and is usually\u00a0performed between week 14-16 of pregnancy. These sutures will be removed\u00a0between 36-38 weeks to prevent any problems when you go into\u00a0labor. Removal of the cerclage does not result in spontaneous delivery\u00a0of the baby.<br \/>\n<strong>A woman would not be eligible for a cerclage if:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>There is increased irritation of the cervix<\/li>\n<li>The cervix has dilated 4cm<\/li>\n<li>Membranes have ruptured<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Possible complications of <a title=\"Cervical Cerclage\" href=\" https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/pregnancycomplications\/cervicalcerclage.html\">cervical cerclage<\/a> include uterine rupture, maternal hemorrhage, bladder rupture, cervical laceration, preterm labor and premature rupture of the membranes. The likelihood of these risks is very minimal, and most health care providers feel that a cerclage is a life-saving procedure that is worth the possible risks involved.<br \/>\n<!--more--><\/p>\n<h4>Want to Know More?<\/h4>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/pregnancy-health\/pregnancy-nutrition\/\">Pregnancy Nutrition<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/pregnancy-health\/exercise-during-pregnancy\/\">Exercise During Pregnancy<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/corp-sponsors\/nordic-naturals\/\">Nordic Naturals<\/a>: the official Omega-3 of the American Pregnancy Association<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Compiled using information from the following sources:<\/strong><br \/>\nWilliam&#8217;s Obstetrics Twenty-Second Ed. Cunningham,\u00a0F. Gary, et al, Ch. 9.<br \/>\nDanforth&#8217;s Obstetrics and Gynecology Ninth Ed.\u00a0Scott, James R., et al, Ch. 4.<br \/>\nIncompetent cervix. (2019, July 25). Retrieved from<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>During pregnancy, as the baby grows and gets heavier, it presses\u00a0on the cervix. This pressure may cause the cervix to start to open\u00a0before the baby is ready to be born. This condition is called incompetent\u00a0cervix or weakened cervix, and it may lead to a miscarriage or premature\u00a0delivery. However, an incompetent cervix happens in only about [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":8931,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[56,50,203,185],"tags":[],"faq-categories":[8401],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v20.11 (Yoast SEO v20.11) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Incompetent Cervix | American Pregnancy Association<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An incompetent cervix or weakened cervix, occurs when pressure causes your cervix to open too soon \u2014 resulting in an early birth.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/americanpregnancy.org\/getting-pregnant\/incompetent-cervix\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Incompetent Cervix: Weakened Cervix\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"An incompetent cervix occurs when the cervix starts to open before the baby is ready to be born. 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