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By Mayo Clinic staffDuring the fetal fibronectin test, you'll lie on your back on an exam table. Your health care provider will place a speculum in your vagina and use a cotton swab to gently swipe the cervical canal. The sample will be sent to a lab for analysis. Results are typically available within less than 24 hours.
In some cases, a vaginal ultrasound is done after the cervical sample is taken. During the ultrasound, you'll lie on your back. Your health care provider or technician will place a slender, wand-like device in your vagina to send out sound waves and gather the reflections. The reflected sound waves will be digitally converted into images on a monitor. Your health care provider or technician will use these images to measure the length of your cervix, which often decreases before labor begins. The ultrasound can also help your health care provider or technician assess your baby's size, age and position.
The ultrasound may take up to an hour. It doesn't hurt, and you can return to your usual activities immediately — although your health care provider may recommend rest or other treatments if preterm labor is a concern.
- Lockwood CJ. Fetal fibronectin for prediction of preterm labor and delivery. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Lockwood CJ. Overview of preterm labor and delivery. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Routine tests in pregnancy. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp133.cfm. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Preterm labor. American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp087.cfm. Accessed March 8, 2010.
- Sanchez-Ramos L, et al. Fetal fibronectin as a short-term predictor of preterm birth in symptomatic patients: A meta-analysis. Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2009;114:631.
- Murry MM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 24, 2010.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. March 30, 2010.
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