| When you are pregnant your world seems absolutely | | | | can put you at a higher risk of this problem. If you have |
| perfect, so when a complication arises the and that | | | | had a prior delivery where a major tear to the cervix |
| world comes crashing down you want to know why. | | | | occurred you are also at a higher risk. |
| Sadly if the cause of your falling world is an | | | | DES Exposure |
| incompetent cervix, you may never know what | | | | This was a medication prescribed to woman in the |
| caused it. | | | | 1950-1970's. The female children born to those women |
| If you don't know exactly what an incompetent cervix | | | | taking the medication may have developed problems, |
| is, then let me explain. It is when the cervix, normally | | | | including unusually shapes to the cervix. So when they |
| around 16-24 weeks opens and starts dilating and you | | | | become pregnant they are at an increased risk of an |
| don't feel any contractions. This can often lead to | | | | incompetent cervix. Luckily most of these women are |
| miscarriage but sometimes it just means you will | | | | past the age of parenthood so this problem is |
| deliver prematurely. | | | | decreasing and will soon be non-existent. |
| Even though we don't know what causes this problem | | | | Previous Incompetent Cervix |
| we do know of some factors that put you at a higher | | | | If you have had a previous pregnancy with an |
| risk. These factors don't mean you'll have an | | | | incompetent cervix then your risk of experiencing it |
| incompetent cervix just that you are at a higher risk | | | | again increases tremendously. You will want to make |
| for one. | | | | sure your doctor knows about it as soon as you get |
| Cervical Trauma | | | | pregnant or, even better, before you get pregnant. |
| Multiple D&C's or procedures like cervical cone biopsy | | | | |