14 January 2026
: Case report 
Characterization of Cervical Remodeling During Pregnancy and the Postpartum Period: A Case Series Analysis
Unknown etiology, Educational Purpose (only if useful for a systematic review or synthesis)
Michelle Villegas-Downs
ABCDEG 1*, Mehrdad Mohammadi CDE 2, Aiguo Han ABCDE 3, William D. O'Brien, Jr. ABCDEG 4, Judith M. Schlaeger E 5, Barbara L. McFarlin ABCDEG 1
DOI: 10.12659/AJCR.949296
Am J Case Rep 2026; 27:e949296
Table 1 Participant characteristics.
| Characteristic | Case 1 | Case 2 | Case 3 | Case 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age (y) | 20 | 29 | 36 | 34 |
| Pre-pregnancy BMI (kg/m) | 25.72 | 38.82 | 26.68 | 25.17 |
| Self-identified race/ethnicity | Hispanic | Black non-Hispanic | White non-Hispanic | White non-Hispanic |
| Nulliparous | Yes | No | Yes | Yes |
| Last pregnancy outcome | No prior pregnancy | Elective abortion | Elective abortion | Elective abortion |
| Prior sPTB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Prior sPTB + FTB | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Years since last birth | – | 3 | – | – |
| Smoking | No | No | No | No |
| Alcohol | No | No | No | No |
| Recreational drugs | No | Yes marijuana | No | No |
| Diabetes | No | No | No | No |
| Cervical length at approx. 17 to 22 wk | 34.8 | 30.5 | 18.6 | 29.4 |
| Progesterone between 16 and 20 wk | No | No | Yes vaginal | No |
| Cervical length at approx. 22 to 26 wk | 33.5 | 34.6 | – | 27.1 |
| Progesterone between 22 and 24 wk | No | No | Yes vaginal | No |
| Gestational age at delivery | 39w1d | 38w2d | 33w | 40w6d |
| Delivery outcome | Full-term | Full-term | Preterm | Full-term |
| Infant weight (g) | 3460 | 3035 | 2313 | 3360 |
| Infant sex | Girl | Girl | Boy | Boy |
| Postpartum birth control | Short-acting hormonal methods | Short-acting hormonal methods | Barrier methods | Other: abstinence |
| Age (y) | 35 | 30 | 30 | 39 |
| Pre-pregnancy BMI (kg/m) | 20.85 | 35.52 | 22.97 | 25.11 |
| Self-identified race/ethnicity | White non-Hispanic | Hispanic | Black non-Hispanic | Black non-Hispanic |
| Nulliparous | No | No | No | No |
| Last pregnancy outcome | Miscarriage | Spontaneous preterm birth | Spontaneous preterm birth | Miscarriage |
| Prior sPTB | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Prior sPTB + FTB | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Years since last birth | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Smoking | No | No | No | No |
| Alcohol | No | No | No | No |
| Recreational drugs | No | No | No | No |
| Diabetes | No | No | No | No |
| Cervical length at approx. 17 to 22 wk | 33.5 | 27.8 | 19 | 29 |
| Progesterone between 16 and 20 wk | No | No | Yes 17OHP | Yes vaginal |
| Cervical length at approx. 22 to 26 wk | 35.9 | 22.4 | – | 24 |
| Progesterone between 22 and 24 wk | No | No | Yes 17OHP | Yes vaginal |
| Gestational age at delivery | 39w1d | 39w2d | 36w1d | 39w1d |
| Delivery outcome | Full-term | Full-term | Preterm | Full-term |
| Infant weight (g) | 3360 | 3360 | 2345 | 3115 |
| Infant sex | Girl | Girl | Girl | Boy |
| Postpartum birth control | Natural family planning | Long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods | Short-acting hormonal methods | No precautions |
| sPTB – spontaneous preterm birth; FTB – full-term birth. | ||||