Quantitative ultrasound for preterm birth risk prediction-Part 2: Clinical consequences and impact

Globally, ∼15 million babies are born preterm every year. In the United States, the preterm birth rate remains stubbornly high (10–15%) and refractory to interventions. Consequences of preterm birth (PTB) account for the second leading cause of infant mortality, with 1 million deaths annually. While the costs of PTB to society are more than for any other disease, the impact on families is devastating. Preterm babies suffer both immediate and lifelong physiological, cognitive, and developmental health problems. It is estimated that with the proper tools and technology, we could reduce the preterm birth and survival rates. Due to lack of technology, clinicians have had few interventions that have been rigorously studied to prevent preterm birth. Ineffective interventions have historically been based on opinion and patient symptoms rather than tissue based reliable and repeatable scientific studies. Our group has rigorously studied quantitative ultrasound’s (QUS’s) role for assessing PTB risk in animals and humans. QUS provided added value to currently available health and traditional ultrasound risk assessment methods. Basing clinical decision-making on tissue microstructure has the potential to reduce the PTB rate and provides a scientific basis for developing and objectively evaluating present and new treatments to prevent PTB. [Work supported by NIHR01HD089935.]