Universal cervical length screening and risk of spontaneous preterm birth: a systematic review and meta-analysis

To evaluate the risk of spontaneous preterm birth with or without universal transvaginal ultrasound cervical length screening at the time of midtrimester scan. Medline, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science were systematically searched from the inception of the databases to November 12, 2023, using combinations of the relevant medical subject heading terms, key words, and word variants that were considered suitable for the topic. Studies including individuals with singleton gestations at 16–25 weeks of gestation screened or not screened with universal transvaginal ultrasound cervical length screening were considered eligible. Primary outcome was spontaneous preterm birth