Abstract

No current objective measures exist to determine uterine or cervical function during pregnancy, or to accurately predict term or preterm labor and delivery. Uterine electromyography (EMG) and cervical light-induced fluorescence (LIF) studies were performed in term and pre-term animals and humans to evaluate the state and function of the uterus and cervix, and to determine the predictive capability of measurements made using these new technologies. Both uterine EMG and cervical LIF produced high positive and negative predictive values, compared to other currently-used methods. Uterine EMG and cervical LIF show great promise as diagnostic tests during pregnancy and for patient monitoring in obstetrics.

Keywords: Uterus, EMG, cervix, LIF, labor, parturition