A landmark study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG) found women with a short cervix treated with vaginal progesterone showed a decreased rate of preterm birth by 42%, and significantly reduced the rate of respiratory distress syndrome and the need for mechanical ventilation, as well as a composite of several complications of premature newborns (e.g. infection, necrotizing enterocolitis, intracranial hemorrhage, etc.).