Table 1 Maternal characteristics and maternal and neonatal outcomes according to gestational age at birth

 Maternal age (years)

26.9 ± 4.7

28.5 ± 5.0

0.12

 BMI before pregnancy (kg/m²)

21.9 ± 4.4

21.3 ± 3.2

0.68

 Nulliparity

51 (54.3)

16 (53.3)

0.93

 Gestational age at sampling (weeks)

32.5 [30.1–33.1]

32.5 [31.1–33.4]

0.48

 Bishop score

3.9 ± 1.9

4.7 ± 1.9

0.08

 Cervical length (mm)

19.6 ± 5.6

17.9 ± 7.3

0.20

 PCT^a (ng/mL)

0.039 [0.030–0.050]

0.042 [0.034–0.054]

0.56

 White blood cell count (× 10⁹/L)

11.0 ± 2.2

11.0 ± 2.2

0.91

 C-reactive protein (mg/L)

3.8 ± 2.5

3.6 ± 2.3

0.76

 Positive cervicovaginal swab cultures

5 (5.4)

5 (17.2)

0.06

 Gestational age at delivery* (w)

39.0 ± 1.2

35.0 ± 1.7

< 0.001

 Interval between admission to delivery (days)

51.6 ± 18.1

21.7 ± 17.1

< 0.001

 Caesarean delivery

1 (1.1)

3 (10.0)

0.04

 Birth weight (g)

3068.3 ± 392.4

2381.2 ± 422.7

< 0.001

 5 min Apgar score (points)

9.7 ± 1.1

9.4 ± 1.9

0.39

 5-min Apgar score < 7

4 (4.4)

1 (3.4)

0.99

 Transfer to NICU

3 (3.2)

4 (13.3)

0.06

 Neonatal death

0

0

–