Abstract
Biochemical changes in the cervix during labor are not well understood. This gap in knowledge is significant, as understanding the precise biochemical processes can provide critical insights into the mechanisms of labor and potentially inform better clinical practices for monitoring and managing pregnancy and childbirth. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy as a non-invasive optical technique, it has the potential sensibility to detect biochemical components. This technology operates by meansuring the vibrational energy of molecular composition and structural changes occurring in the tissue. A total of 30 pregnant participants undergoing either spontaneous or induced labor were recruited. We detected several biochemical changes during labor, including a significant decrease in FT-IR spectral features associated with collagen and other extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, attributed to collagen dispersion. Specifically, the amide I and amide II bands, which are indicative of protein secondary structure, showed marked reductions. Our results have demonstrated that FT-IR spectroscopy is sensitive to multiple biochemical remodeling changes in the cervix during labor. Traditional methods have limitations, either due to their invasiveness or insufficient sensitivity to detect subtle biochemical alterations, therefore, FT-IR spectroscopy may be a valuable noninvasive tool for objective cervical assessment to potentially guide clinical labor management.