Cervical attenuation as a measure of preterm delivery: Impact of different region of interest sizes

One to five transvaginal ultrasound scans were taken of 63 women to estimate the microstructural changes in cervix using ultrasonic attenuation. Spectral log difference algorithm showed a clear decrease in attenuation as the time to delivery comes closer. The decrease in attenuation occurs earlier in preterm birth compared to full term birth which can be used as a predictor for preterm birth. Attenuation estimate did not improve as the ROI size increased.