sPTB Risk

Symptomatic · log-normal survival

Clinical setting
Tests available
Gestational age
weeks
days
Cervical length mm
mm
qfFN ng/mL
ng/mL
Risk factors
Previous preterm birth ≤ 36+6
Previous PPROM
Previous cervical surgery
Twin pregnancy
Enter gestational age and test values to calculate risk
About this tool

What it is

A unified spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB) risk calculator covering two distinct clinical populations. Select Symptomatic for women presenting with threatened preterm labour symptoms (23+0–34+6 weeks) or Asymptomatic for high-risk women in a surveillance clinic (18+0–36+6 weeks). The tool calculates conditional probabilities of delivery before 30, 34, and 37 weeks, and within 1, 2, and 4 weeks of testing.

How to use

  • Select the clinical setting (Symptomatic or Asymptomatic) at the top.
  • Choose the test method: CL + qfFN, CL only, or qfFN only.
  • Enter gestational age in weeks and days.
  • Enter cervical length (mm) and/or quantitative fFN (ng/mL) as applicable.
  • Toggle relevant risk factors — these affect the model coefficient.
  • The risk grid updates immediately.

What to expect

A 2×3 colour-coded risk grid: rows = gestational thresholds (<30, <34, <37 weeks) and time windows (within 1, 2, 4 weeks); columns = the selected test method. Cells are colour-coded: <1% low · 1–4.9% mild · 5–9.9% moderate · ≥10% high. Cells already past a gestational threshold are shown as N/A. Colour bands are intended as a reading aid, not clinical decision thresholds.

Model details

Symptomatic — Log-normal survival model (Carter et al. 2020). Available methods: CL + qfFN, CL only, qfFN only. History term used by the equation: twin pregnancy, previous cervical surgery, previous PPROM, or previous preterm birth ≤ 36+6. Outputs: risk <30, <34, <37 weeks; within 1, 2, 4 weeks.

Asymptomatic — Log-logistic survival model (Watson et al. 2020). Available methods: CL + qfFN, CL only, qfFN only. Risk factors in the equations: twin pregnancy, previous sPTB, previous late miscarriage. Outputs: risk <30, <34, <37 weeks; within 1, 2, 4 weeks.

How to read results

The calculators estimate conditional probability from the day of testing, assuming the pregnancy has continued to that date. Cells labelled <30, <34, <37 weeks give the probability of spontaneous preterm birth before that gestational threshold. Cells labelled within 1, 2, or 4 weeks give the probability of delivery within that interval. Cells already past a gestational threshold are marked N/A.

Implementation notes

Symptomatic — Implemented from Appendix S1 of Carter et al. 2020. Uses Method 4 (CL + qfFN), Method 5 (CL only), and Method 6 (qfFN only). Asymptomatic — Implemented from Appendix S1 of Watson et al. 2020. Uses Methods 1–3 for CL + qfFN, CL only, and qfFN only. Neither model is valid for triplets or higher-order multiples.

Citations

Symptomatic model — Carter J, Seed PT, Watson HA, et al. Development and validation of predictive models for predicting preterm birth in women with symptoms of threatened preterm labor. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2020;55(3):357–367. DOI: 10.1002/uog.20422
Asymptomatic model — Watson HA, Carter J, Seed PT, Tribe RM, Shennan AH. Development and validation of predictive models for predicting preterm birth in asymptomatic high-risk women. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2020;55(3):348–356. DOI: 10.1002/uog.20401
Earlier symptomatic validation — Kuhrt K, Hezelgrave N, Foster C, Seed PT, Shennan AH. Development and validation of a tool incorporating quantitative fetal fibronectin to predict spontaneous preterm birth in symptomatic women. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol. 2016;47(2):210–216. DOI: 10.1002/uog.14894