What does ACOG say about other screening strategies for preterm labor?
Due to the lack of firm research data, ACOG does not support either home uterine activity monitoring (HUAM) or bacterial vaginosis screening strategies to identify the risk of or prevent preterm birth. No tests outperform a thorough historical risk assessment at the time of the first prenatal visit. ACOG also states that ultrasonography to determine the cervical length and/or fFN screening may be useful in determining who is at high risk for preterm labor, but the benefit may be mainly to rule out those who are not at high risk for preterm birth. fFN should be used only at 24-34 weeks gestation in women with intact amniotic membranes and minimal cervical dilation (<4 cm). In addition, test results must be available from a laboratory in a timely fashion, ideally within a few hours, but ACOG recommends within 24 hours. At what stage of pregnancy are babies considered viable? This is a complex topic. No definite age or stage exists, but experts disagree. The survival rate of infants born
