Pessaries in multiple pregnancy as a prevention of preterm birth: the ProTwin trial

BACKGROUND Multiple pregnancies are at high risk for preterm birth, and therefore an important cause of infant mortality and morbidity. A pessary is a simple and potentially effective measure for the prevention of preterm birth. Small studies have indicated its effectiveness, but large studies with sufficient power on the subject are lacking. Despite this lack of evidence, the treatment is at present applied by some gynaecologists in The Netherlands. METHODS/DESIGN We aim to investigate the hypothesis that prophylactic use of a cervical pessary will be effective in the prevention of preterm de... Mehr ...