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. 2022 Sep 15:2022:2442338.
doi: 10.1155/2022/2442338. eCollection 2022.

Fetal Fibronectin as a Predictor of Preterm Delivery: A Nigerian Cohort Study

Cyril C Ikeoha  1 , Chidebe C Anikwe  1   2 , Osita S Umeononihu  2 , Bartholomew C Okorochukwu  3 , Johnbosco E Mamah  1 , George U Eleje  2 , Chukwuemeka O Ezeama  2 , Basil I Nwokoye  1 , Chigozie F Okoroafor  1 , Ikechukwu S Ugwoke  1
Affiliations

Fetal Fibronectin as a Predictor of Preterm Delivery: A Nigerian Cohort Study

Cyril C Ikeoha et al. Biomed Res Int. .

Abstract

Background: Fetal fibronectin is a useful biomarker in the diagnosis and management of preterm labour.

Objectives: To evaluate the relationship between cervical fetal fibronectin and preterm delivery and the association between cervical fetal fibronectin level and gestational age at delivery.

Materials and methods: A prospective cohort study was performed in a tertiary hospital in Nigeria, involving equal number of pregnant women with (96) and without (96) preterm labour. Fetal fibronectin assay was done using solid-phase immunogold assay. The data were analysed using IBM SPSS version 24. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were done. The level of significance was p-value <0.05.

Results: Less than half (47.9%) of the women in the study group had preterm delivery while 13.09% of the women in the control group delivered preterm. Fetal fibronectin test had a sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of 78%, 86.5%, 71.9%, and 89.0%, respectively, a positive likelihood ratio and negative likelihood ratio of 5.76(95% CI, 3.67 - 9.64) and 0.26(95% CI, 0.16 - 0.41), respectively.

Conclusion: The findings in our study value of fetal fibronectin in predicting preterm delivery. Its use will support less intervention for patients with negative results.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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