Intrapartum Fetal Surveillance Research Articles

Loss of heterozygosity for chromosomes 16q in Wilms tumors predicts outcomes: A meta-analysis

BACKGROUND The research findings suggest that the prognosis of children with Wilms tumor (WT) is affected by various factors. Some scholars have indicated that loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 16q is associated with a poor prognosis in patients with WT. AIM To further elucidate this relationship, we conducted a meta-analysis. METHODS This meta-analysis was registered in INPLASY (INPLASY2023100060). We systematically searched databases including Embase, PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane, and Google Scholar up to May 31, 2020, for randomized trials reporting any intrapartum fetal surveillance approach. The meta-analysis was performed within a frequentist framework, and the quality and network inconsistency of trials were assessed. Odds ratios and 95%CIs were calculated to report the relationship between event-free survival and 16q LOH in patients with WT. RESULTS Eleven cohort studies were included in this meta-analysis to estimate the relationship between event-free survival and 16q LOH in patients with WT (I 2 = 25%, P < 0.001). As expected, 16q LOH can serve as an effective predictor of event-free survival in patients with WT (risk ratio = 1.95, 95%CI: 1.52–2.49, P < 0.001). CONCLUSION In pediatric patients with WT, there exists a partial correlation between 16q LOH and an unfavorable treatment prognosis. Clinical detection of 16q chromosome LOH warrants increased attention to the patient’s prognosis.

Tending to the machine: The impact of intrapartum fetal surveillance on women in Australia

Qualitative research about women and birthing people’s experiences of fetal monitoring during labour and birth is scant. Labour and birth is often impacted by wearable or invasive monitoring devices, however, most published research about fetal monitoring is focused on the wellbeing of the fetus. This manuscript is derived from a larger mixed methods study, ‘WOmen’s Experiences of Monitoring Baby (The WOMB Study)’, aiming to increase understanding of the experiences of women and birthing people in Australia, of being monitored; and about the information they received about fetal monitoring devices during pregnancy. We constructed a national cross-sectional survey that was distributed via social media in May and June, 2022. Responses were received from 861 participants. As far as we are aware, this is the first survey of the experiences of women and birthing people of intrapartum fetal monitoring conducted in Australia. This paper comprises the analysis of the free text survey responses, using qualitative and inductive content analysis. Two categories were constructed, Tending to the machine, which explores participants’ perceptions of the way in which clinicians interacted with fetal monitoring technologies; and Impressions of the machine, which explores the direct impact of fetal monitoring devices upon the labour and birth experience of women and birthing people. The findings suggest that some clinicians need to reflect upon the information they provide to women and birthing people about monitoring. For example, freedom of movement is an important aspect of supporting the physiology of labour and managing pain. If freedom of movement is important, the physical restriction created by a wired cardiotocograph is inappropriate. Many participants noticed that clinicians focused their attention primarily on the technology. Prioritising the individual needs of the woman or birthing person is key to providing high quality woman-centred intrapartum care. Women should be provided with adequate information regarding the risks and benefits of different forms of fetal monitoring including how the form of monitoring might impact her labour experience.

Association between intrapartum fetal pulse oximetry and adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol.

Current methods of intrapartum fetal monitoring based on heart rate, increase the rates of operative delivery but do not prevent or accurately detect fetal hypoxic brain injury. There is a need for more accurate methods of intrapartum fetal surveillance that will decrease the incidence of adverse perinatal and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes while maintaining the lowest possible rate of obstetric intervention. Fetal pulse oximetry (FPO) is a technology that may contribute to improved intrapartum fetal wellbeing evaluation by providing a non-invasive measurement of fetal oxygenation status. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesise the evidence examining the association between intrapartum fetal oxygen saturation levels and adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes in the offspring. We will include randomised control trials (RCTs), cohort, cross-sectional and case-control studies which examine the use of FPO during labour as a means of measuring intrapartum fetal oxygen saturation and assess its effectiveness at detecting adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes compared to existing intrapartum surveillance methods. A detailed systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, ClinicalTrials.Gov and WHO ICTRP will be conducted following a detailed search strategy until February 2024. Three authors will independently review titles, abstracts and full text of articles. Two reviewers will independently extract data using a pre-defined data extraction form and assess the quality of included studies using the Risk of Bias tool for RCTs and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies. The grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE) approach will be used to evaluate the certainty of the evidence. We will use random-effects meta-analysis for each exposure-outcome association to calculate pooled estimates using the generic variance method. This systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses and MOOSE guidelines. CRD42023457368 (04/09/2023).

Psychosocial outcomes from one cohort participating in the STan Australian Randomised controlled Trial (START).

In an Australian randomized controlled trial (RCT), two techniques for intrapartum fetal surveillance were compared: ST analysis (STan) as an adjunct to cardiotocography (CTG), compared with CTG alone. The aim was to determine whether CTG + STan could reduce emergency cesarean birth rates while maintaining or improving neonatal outcomes. Secondary aims were to compare clinical, economic, and psychosocial outcomes. The purpose of this paper was to present psychosocial outcomes from one cohort enrolled in the trial. The study was conducted at one tertiary referral hospital. Participants who had taken part in the trial from the outset were invited to complete a questionnaire between March 2018 and January 2020, approximately 8 weeks after giving birth. Outcomes included depression, psychological distress, health-related quality of life, and infant feeding practices. Analysis was by intention to treat. N = 207/527 participants completed the questionnaire (n = 113, STan; n = 94, CTG alone). Overall, no statistically significant or clinically meaningful differences were found in the two groups for symptoms of depression, psychological distress, quality of life, or infant feeding. A statistically significant difference was observed for the subscale of pain-discomfort, where scores were higher on average in the CTG alone arm relative to that in the CTG + STan arm. Although STan as an adjunct to CTG constitutes a different clinical technology from CTG alone, both monitoring types appeared to produce similar results in terms of postnatal psychosocial outcomes for women. Findings from this study provide service users and staff with a comprehensive assessment of STan that can be used to make evidence-informed decisions about monitoring options should STan become more widely available.

Association between intrapartum fetal pulse oximetry and adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes: a systematic review and meta-analysis protocol

Background: Current methods of intrapartum fetal monitoring based on heart rate, increase the rates of operative delivery but do not prevent or accurately detect fetal hypoxic brain injury. There is a need for more accurate methods of intrapartum fetal surveillance that will decrease the incidence of adverse perinatal and long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes while maintaining the lowest possible rate of obstetric intervention. Fetal pulse oximetry (FPO) is a technology that may contribute to improved intrapartum fetal wellbeing evaluation by providing a non-invasive measurement of fetal oxygenation status. Objective: This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to synthesise the evidence examining the association between intrapartum fetal oxygen saturation levels and adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes in the offspring. Methods: We will include randomised control trials (RCTs), cohort, cross-sectional and case-control studies which examine the use of FPO during labour as a means of measuring intrapartum fetal oxygen saturation and assess its effectiveness at detecting adverse perinatal and long-term outcomes compared to existing intrapartum surveillance methods. A detailed systematic search of PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, The Cochrane Library and Web of Science will be conducted following a detailed search strategy until August 2023. Three authors will independently review titles, abstracts and full text of articles. Two reviewers will independently extract data using pre-defined data extraction and assess the quality using the Risk of Bias tool for RCTs and Newcastle-Ottawa Scale for observational studies. We will use random-effects meta-analysis for each exposure-outcome association to calculate pooled estimates using the generic variance method. This systematic review will follow the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. PROSPERO registration:  CRD42023457368 (04/09/2023)

Intrapartum fetal surveillance. Fetal physiology and fetal adaptation mechanisms. Part I

CTG interpretation helps to understand fetal behaviour and reactions to various hypoxic and nonhypoxic stresses during labour. Despite having guidelines that tell the clinician what to do in case of identification of different types of decelerations, change in the baseline rate or change in the baseline variability, it is extremely important to understand the reasons behind the appearance of such features. The fetal physiology in labour and fetal adaptation mechanisms will be discussed in the first part of a series of three articles.

Immediate and longer-term impacts of fetal surveillance education on workforce knowledge and cognitive skills

Background: Following the development of the Royal Australian College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists Intrapartum Fetal Surveillance Guideline in 2003, an education program was developed to support guideline implementation and clinical practice. It was intended that improved clinician knowledge, particularly of cardiotocography, would reduce rates of intrapartum fetal morbidity and mortality. The program contains a multiple-choice assessment, designed to assess fetal surveillance knowledge and the application of that knowledge. We used the results of this assessment over time to evaluate the impact of the education program on clinicians’ fetal surveillance knowledge and interpretive skills, in the immediate and longer-term. Methods: We undertook a retrospective analysis of the assessment results for all participants in the Fetal Surveillance Education Program, between 2004 and 2018. Classical Test Theory and Rasch Item Response Theory analysis were used to evaluate the statistical reliability and quality of the assessment, and the measurement invariance or stability of the assessments over time. Clinicians’ assessment scores were then reviewed by craft group and previous exposure to the program. Results: The results from 64,430, broadly similar assessments, showed that participation in the education program was associated with an immediate improvement in clinician performance in the assessment. Performance improvement was sustained for up to 18 months following participation in the program and recurrent participation was associated with progressive improvements. These trends were observed for all craft groups (consultant obstetricians, doctors in training, general practitioners, midwives, student midwives). Conclusions: These findings suggest that the Fetal Surveillance Education Program has improved clinician knowledge and the associated cognitive skills over time. The stable difficulty of the assessment tool means any improvement in clinician’s results, with ongoing exposure to the program, can be reliably assessed and demonstrated. Importantly this holds true for all craft groups involved in intrapartum care and the interpretation of cardiotocography.

The role of metformin in the management of endometriosis: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose: To analyze the activity of metformin in endometriosis, with a view to alleviating disease progression.
 Methods: A search was conducted using electronic databases such as CNKI, VIP, CBM, WANFANG, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science from  January 1980 to January 2022 for randomized trials involving any intrapartum fetal surveillance method. A network meta-analysis was performed within  a frequentist framework, and it was assessed for quality and network inconsistency of the trials. A ninety-five percent confidence interval (CI) was used to  report the relationship between metformin levels and patients with endometriosis.
 Results: Eight eligible studies which included 688 patients were evaluated in this meta-analysis. The primary indicators were treatment efficiency and  CA-125 level. Metformin significantly increased treatment efficiency (SMD = 3.29, 95 % CI 2.01, 5.40, p < 0.00001). As expected, metformin also reduced  the CA-125 level in endometriosis patients as a result (Odds Ratio, OR = -1.20, 95 % CI: -1.40 - 1.00, p < 0.00001).
 Conclusion: Metformin alleviates pains caused by endometriosis. However, some studies had scanty information about alleviating clinical symptoms  other than basic medical research. More randomized controlled trials are needed to confirm treatment efficacy. 

The Impact on Obstetric and Perinatal Outcomes in Term Infants Following the Introduction of a Color-coded, Hierarchical Cardiotocography Classification System: A Retrospective Noninferiority Study

(Aust N Z J Obstet Gynaecol. 2022;62:370–375) The effectiveness of continuous cardiotocograph (CTG) monitoring relies on the accurate interpretation of the fetal heart rate (FHR) tracing, taken together with all available clinical information, and followed by appropriate clinical responses. CTG interpretation is dependent on the observations of the obstetrical team and subject to bias. Staff training and consistent, standardized FHR interpretation may help to improve the effectiveness of CTG monitoring. The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ (RANZCOG) Intrapartum Fetal Surveillance recommends a CTG classification system using prose that defines fetal compromise as low, unlikely, maybe, or likely. A new color-coded system, the Queensland Clinical Guidelines (QCG), complements this prose-system, by using green, blue, yellow, and red to define fetal compromise, and recommends appropriate actions in response to each CTG category. The aim of this study was to assess the effectiveness of the color-coded CTG classification system on pregnancy outcomes before and after implementation.

Detection of Suspicious Cardiotocographic Recordings by Means of a Machine Learning Classifier.

Cardiotocography (CTG) is one of the fundamental prenatal diagnostic methods for both antepartum and intrapartum fetal surveillance. Although it has allowed a significant reduction in intrapartum and neonatal mortality and morbidity, its diagnostic accuracy is, however, still far from being fully satisfactory. In particular, the identification of uncertain and suspicious CTG traces remains a challenging task for gynecologists. The introduction of computerized analysis systems has enabled more objective evaluations, possibly leading to more accurate diagnoses. In this work, the problem of classifying suspicious CTG recordings was addressed through a machine learning approach. A machine-based labeling was proposed, and a binary classification was carried out using a support vector machine (SVM) classifier to distinguish between suspicious and normal CTG traces. The best classification metrics showed accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity values of 92%, 92%, and 90%, respectively. The main results were compared both with results obtained by considering a more unbalanced dataset and with relevant literature studies in the field. The use of the SVM proved to be promising in the field of CTG classification. However, appropriate feature selection and dataset balancing are crucial to achieve satisfactory performance of the classifier.

A second look at intrapartum fetal surveillance and future directions.

Intrapartum fetal surveillance aims to predict significant fetal hypoxia and institute timely intervention to avoid fetal injury, and do so without unnecessary operative delivery of fetuses at no risk of intrapartum hypoxia. However, the configuration and application of current clinical guidelines inadvertently undermine these aims because of persistent failure to incorporate increased understanding of fetal cardiovascular physiology and adaptations to oxygen deprivation, advances in signal acquisition/processing, and related technologies. Consequently, the field on intrapartum fetal surveillance is stuck in rudimentary counts of the fetal R-R intervals and visual assessment of very common, but nonspecific fetal heart decelerations and fetal heart rate variability. The present authors argue that the time has come to move away fromclassifications ofstatic morphological appearances ofFHR decelerations, which do not assist the thinking clinician inunderstanding how the fetus defends itself and compensates for intrapartum hypoxic ischaemic insults or the patterns that suggest progressive loss of compensation. We also reappraise some of the controversial aspects of intrapartum fetal surveillance in modern obstetric practice, the current state of flux in training and certification, and contemplate the future of the field particularly in the context of the emerging role of artificial intelligence.

UMBILICAL COILING INDEX AND ITS RELATIONSHIP WITH PERINATAL OUTCOMES

Aim: To evaluate any adverse perinatal outcomes associated with abnormal coiling of umbilical cord. Introduction:The primary objective of antenatal and intrapartum fetal surveillance both in early and late pregnancy is to prevent fetal death. One of the most important parts of the fetoplacental unit is the umbilical cord. It is now being studied in predicting the perinatal outcome. Materials and methods: This prospective study was conducted in Obstetrics and gynaecology department of a tertiary care hospital in Smt. Kashibai navale medical college and general hospital Narhe, Pune.Three hundred and fifty (350) umbilical cords of babies delivered either by vaginally or by lower segment caesarian section were examined. The umbilical coiling index was calculated by dividing the total number of coils by the length of the cord in cms. Subjects with umbilical coiling index below 10th percentile, between 10th and 90th percentile and above 90th percentile were defined as hypocoiled, normocoiled and hypercoiled respectively. It was then correlated with the following pregnancy outcomes: mode of delivery, preterm delivery, birth weight, meconium staining, Apgar score at 1 and 5 minutes, and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) admissions. Hypocoiled cords were those having umbilical cord coiling index (UCI) less than 10th percentile and hypercoiled cords were those having UCI >90th percentile Statistical analysis was done . The results were statistically analysed by chi-square test. The p value ≤ 0.05 was considered statistically significant for all the analyses. Result: The mean UCI was 0.61 ± 0.16. The hypocoiled umbilical cords (UCI < 10th percentile) were significantly associated with low birth weight, meconium staining, low Apgar score at 1 minute, and increased NICU admissions with a p-value < 0.05. Conclusion:Abnormall UCI(hypocoiling) are significantly associated with adverse perinatal outcome.

Uterine Torsion Diagnosed During Cesarean Section in a 26-Year-Old Female at Bugando Medical Centre, A Case Report

Uterine torsion is considered rare conditions in human as compared to veterinary medicine. Despite being less commonly reported, it is associated with morbidities and mortalities to both fetal and maternal. When the rotation of the uterus is more than 45 degrees on its longitudinal axis is considered pathological. We report a 26-year-old woman, prime gravid, at Gestational age of 40 weeks who stayed in labor for 8hours with 6 centimeters cervical dilatation despite of adequate uterine contractions. She was delivered by caesarean section due to intrapartum fetal surveillance found to be bradycardic (fetal heart tones ranging from 108 to 110 beats per minutes) regardless of maternal changing position. A live baby boy with Apgar score of six at first and eight at firth minutes respectively birth weight 3.7 kilograms was delivered and Intraoperatively, uterine torsion of 180 degrees was diagnosed. We present this case as the rare diagnosis which is associated with significant morbidity and mortality of both maternal and neonates.

35 Proposed cut-off for fetal scalp blood lactate in intrapartum fetal surveillance based on neonatal outcomes: A large prospective observational study

Introduction and aims of the study: Fetal scalp blood sampling (FBS) mostly used in the northern Europe, is recognized as a second line tool to Cardiotocography to intervene appropriately. Since the 90’s, point of care (POC) lactate measurement has gained increased popularity due to its low failure rate and easy to analyse bedside for rapid clinical decision making. The reference values are only valid for LactateProTM which has ceased production, why there is a need to introduce a new device. StatstripLactate®/StatstripXpress® (Nova Biomedical) (SLX) has shown promising results in fetal blood.

Manual fetal stimulation during intrapartum fetal surveillance: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUNDManual fetal stimulation, either by mechanical manipulation or by stimulation of the fetal scalp, is known to evoke a fetal heart response in a normal fetus. OBJECTIVEThis study aimed to assess the clinical effectiveness of manual fetal stimulation in the assessment of fetal well-being during labor vs no stimulation among women with a singleton pregnancy and to investigate the maternal and neonatal outcomes in the 2 groups. STUDY DESIGNThis was a randomized controlled trial conducted in the department of obstetrics and gynecology at a tertiary care teaching hospital between 2014 and 2016. The inclusion criteria included women with a singleton pregnancy at ≥37 weeks of gestation with cephalic presentation in labor having one of the following abnormalities on fetal heart tracing: fetal heart rate of <110 bpm or >160 bpm, variable decelerations, late decelerations, and minimal or absent beat-to-beat variability. The exclusion criteria included women requiring immediate cesarean delivery, conditions that would preclude a vaginal delivery, and intrauterine fetal demise or a major fetal congenital abnormality. The women were followed up in labor and randomized to either the manual stimulation group or the no stimulation group when one of the cardiotocography abnormalities were present. In the manual stimulation group, the fetus was stimulated abdominally by holding the head in the palm of 1 hand when the cervical dilatation was <3 cm or vaginally by pinching the scalp of the fetus when the cervical dilatation was ≥3 cm. After delivery, a cord blood sample was collected and pH estimated. Mother and baby were followed up until discharge, and mode of delivery, cord blood pH at birth, Apgar scores at 1 minute and 5 minutes, neonatal intensive care unit admissions, and duration of stay were the outcomes studied. Data were entered and compiled as frequency and percentage for categorical variables. For continuous variables, data were calculated using mean and standard deviation. The chi-square test was used for assessing the association between the intervention and fetal and maternal outcomes. RESULTSA total of 327 women were included in the trial, of whom 164 were in the manual fetal stimulation group (group 1) and 163 were in the “no stimulation” group (group 2). The cesarean delivery rates were 25.61% in group 1 and 30.67% in group 2 (P=.308). The mean cord blood pH levels at birth were 7.267±0.027 in group 1 and 7.265±0.024 in group 2 (P=.479), and the Apgar scores at 1 minute and 5 minutes (P=.169 and P=.423, respectively, between the 2 groups) were not found to be statistically different among the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONThere was no considerable change in fetomaternal outcomes with manual fetal stimulation in women having nonreassuring cardiotocographic changes in labor.

Proposed cutoff for fetal scalp blood lactate in intrapartum fetal surveillance based on neonatal outcomes: a large prospective observational study.

Determination of lactate in fetal scalp blood (FBS) during labour has been recognised since the 1970s. The internationally accepted cutoff of >4.8 mmol/l indicating fetal acidosis is exclusive for the point-of-care device (POC) LactatePro™, which is no longer in production. The aim of this study was to establish a new cutoff for scalp lactate based on neonatal outcomes with the use of the StatstripLactate® /StatstripXpress® Lactate system, the only POC designed for hospital use. Observational study. January 2016 to March 2020 labouring women with indication for FBS were prospectively included from seven Swedish and one Australian delivery unit. Inclusion criteria: singleton pregnancy, vertex presentation, ≥35+0  weeks of gestation. Based on the optimal correlation between FBS lactate and cord pH/lactate, only cases with ≤25 minutes from FBS to delivery were included in the final calculations. Metabolic acidosis in cord blood defined as pH <7.05 plus BDecf >10 mmol/l and/or lactate >10 mmol/l. A total of 3334 women were enrolled of whom 799 were delivered within 25 minutes. The areas under the receiver operating characteristics curves (AUC) and corresponding optimal cutoff values were as follows; metabolic acidosis AUC 0.87 (95% CI 0.77-0.97), cutoff 5.7 mmol/l; pH <7.0 AUC 0.83 (95% CI 0.68-0.97), cutoff 4.6 mmol/l; pH <7.05 plus BDecf ≥12 mmol/l AUC 0.97 (95% CI 0.92-1), cutoff 5.8 mmol/l; Apgar score <7 at 5 minutes AUC 0.74 (95% CI 0.63-0.86), cutoff 5.2 mmol/l; and pH <7.10 plus composite neonatal outcome AUC 0.76 (95% CI 0.67-0.85), cutoff 4.8 mmol/l. A scalp lactate level <5.2 mmol/l using the StatstripLactate® /StatstripXpress® system will safely rule out fetal metabolic acidosis. Scalp blood lactate <5.2 mmol/l using the StatstripLactate® /StatstripXpress system has an excellent ability to rule out fetal acidosis.

Effectiveness of intrapartum fetal surveillance to improve maternal and neonatal outcomes: a systematic review and network meta-analysis

BACKGROUND:Cesarean delivery is the most common surgical procedure worldwide. Intrapartum fetal surveillance is routinely offered to improve neonatal outcomes, but the effects of different methods on the risk of emergency cesarean deliveries remains uncertain. We conducted a systematic review and network meta-analysis to evaluate the effectiveness of different types of fetal surveillance.METHODS:We searched MEDLINE, Embase and CENTRAL until June 1, 2020, for randomized trials evaluating any intrapartum fetal surveillance method. We performed a network meta-analysis within a frequentist framework. We assessed the quality and network inconsistency of trials. We reported primarily on intrapartum emergency cesarean deliveries and other secondary maternal and neonatal outcomes using risk ratios (RRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).RESULTS:We included 33 trials (118 863 patients) evaluating intermittent auscultation with Pinard stethoscope/handheld Doppler (IA), cardiotocography (CTG), computerized cardiotocography (cCTG), CTG with fetal scalp lactate (CTG-lactate), CTG with fetal scalp pH analysis (CTG-FBS), CTG with fetal pulse oximetry (FPO-CTG), CTG with fetal heart electrocardiogram (CTG-STAN) and their combinations. Intermittent auscultation reduced the risk of emergency cesarean deliveries compared with other types of surveillance (IA v. CTG: RR 0.83, 95% CI 0.72–0.97; IA v. CTG-FBS: RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.63–0.80; IA v.CTG-lactate: RR 0.77, 95% CI 0.64–0.92; IA v. FPO-CTG: RR 0.75, 95% CI 0.65–0.87; IA v.FPO-CTG-FBS: RR 0.81, 95% CI 0.67–0.99; cCTG-FBS v. IA: RR 1.21, 95% CI 1.04–1.42), except STAN-CTG-FBS (RR 1.17, 95% CI 0.98–1.40). There was a similar reduction observed for emergency cesarean deliveries for fetal distress. None of the evaluated methods was associated with a reduced risk of neonatal acidemia, neonatal unit admissions, Apgar scores or perinatal death.INTERPRETATION:Compared with other types of fetal surveillance, intermittent auscultation seems to reduce emergency cesarean deliveries in labour without increasing adverse neonatal and maternal outcomes.

Impaired validity of the new FIGO and Swedish CTG classification templates to identify fetal acidosis in the first stage of labor

Introduction Cardiotocography (CTG) is the main method of intrapartum fetal surveillance. In 2015 a new guideline was introduced by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO), FIGO-15. In Sweden it was adjusted to SWE-17, replacing the previous national template, SWE-09. This study, conducted at one university hospital and one regional hospital in southern Sweden, evaluated the diagnostic validity of these three templates to detect fetal acidosis during the first stage of labor. Material and methods A total of 73 neonates with pH <7.1 in umbilical cord artery or vein at cesarean delivery during the first stage of labor were identified retrospectively. For each acidotic neonate, three non-acidemic neonates, with a pH ≥7.2 in cord artery and vein, and Apgar scores ≥9 at five and ten minutes, in all 219 neonates, were selected. The CTG tracings before birth in acidemic neonates, and tracings at the same cervical dilatation in the non-acidemic neonates, were independently assessed by three professionals from the obstetric staff, blinded to group and clinical data. Based on their categorizations of the included variables (baseline, variability, accelerations, decelerations and contraction rate), each CTG tracing was systematically classified according to the three templates. The sensitivity and specificity to identify acidemia by the classification pathological were determined for each template. Interobserver agreement in the assessments of tracings as pathological or not was analyzed, using free-marginal Kappa index. Results The sensitivity for patterns classified as pathological to identify acidemia was similar for FIGO-15 (71%) and SWE-17 (77%, p = .13), and the specificity was 97% for both. SWE-09 had a significantly higher sensitivity (95%, p < .001) albeit with a lower specificity (90%, p < .001) than the other two templates. Among acidemic neonates, the fraction of tracings classified as normal was higher with SWE-17 (9.6%) than with SWE-09 (0%; p = .01) and FIGO-15 (1.4%; p = .06). For tracings from neonates with acidemia, agreement for three independent assessors was strong (κ 0.85) with SWE-09, and weak for FIGO-15 (κ 0.47), and SWE-17 (κ 0.51). For tracings from neonates without acidemia, the agreement was almost perfect for FIGO-15 (κ 0.91), strong withSWE-17 (κ 0.90) and moderate with SWE-09 (κ 0.78). Conclusions The ability of FIGO-15 and SWE-17 to identify fetal acidosis is considered insufficient. The combination of a high sensitivity and a high specificity makes SWE-09 the most discriminatory template during the first stage of labor.

COMPARISON OF INTRAPARTUM CARDIOTOCOGRAPHY & OBSTETRIC DOPPLER IN PREDICTING PERINATAL OUTCOME IN HIGH RISK PREGNANCY

Background: High risk pregnancy needs special antepartum as well as intrapartum care and investigations. CTG is aadmissionscreening test to monitor fetal wellbeing by use of cardiotocograph. It monitors fetal heart rate and uterine contractions. Color Doppler is ultrasound dependent test which uses vascular flow velocities and Doppler waveform to predict fetal outcome. Objective: Comparison of efficiency of CTG &amp; Color Doppler ultrasound for intrapartum fetal surveillance in high risk pregnancy. Methods: Retrospective study of 100 high risk pregnancies of ≥ 34 weeks POG in labor with CTG and color Doppler findings were done on admission at Gujarat Adani Institute of Medical Sciences, Bhuj. Subjects were classified into 4 groups based on CTG and color Doppler findings. Maternal and fetal outcome were recorded and correlated with CTGand color Dopplerfindings. Results: Most common cause of high-risk pregnancy was preeclampsia(n=60/100,60%).In our study, rate of normal delivery was 40% and c-section was 60% (31% elective &amp; 29% emergency). Out of 100 fetuses, 76 were healthy, 22 were admitted in NICU (6 NICU deaths) and 2 were still birth. Perinatal outcome was most favorable with normal CTG and Color doppler and was least favorable with both of them abnormal. Outcome was intermittent in other two groups. CTG found to have sensitivity 62.5% and specificity 82.5% in detection of adverse fetal outcome. Similarly,sensitivity and specificity of color doppler was 48.8% and 98.6% respectively. Conclusions: In our study it was found that CTG is more sensitive and color Doppler is more specific in detection of adverse fetal outcome.

Near-infrared spectroscopy of the placenta for monitoring fetal oxygenation during labour.

Although being the golden standard for intrapartum fetal surveillance, cardiotocography (CTG) has been shown to have poor specificity for detecting fetal acidosis. Non-invasive near-infrared-spectroscopy (NIRS) monitoring of placental oxygenation during labour has not been studied yet. The objective of the study was to determine whether changes in placental NIRS values during labour could identify intrapartum fetal hypoxia and resulting acidosis. We included 43 healthy women in active stage of labour at term. CTG and NIRS parameters in groups with vs. without neonatal umbilical artery pH ≤ 7.20 were compared using Mann-Whitney-U. Receiver-operating-characteristics (ROC) curves were used to estimate predictive value of CTG and NIRS parameters for neonatal pH ≤ 7.20. A computer-based statistical classification was also performed to further evaluate predictive values of CTG and NIRS for neonatal acidosis. Ten (23%) neonates were born with umbilical artery pH ≤ 7.20. Compared to group with pH > 7.20, fetal acidosis was associated with more episodes of placental NIRS deoxygenation (9 (range 2-37) vs. 2 (range 0-65); p<0.001), higher velocity of placental NIRS deoxygenation (2.31 (range 0-22) vs. 1 (range 0-49) %/s; p = 0.03), more decelerations on CTG (25 (range 3-91) vs. 10 (range 10-60); p = 0.02), and more prolonged decelerations on CTG (2 (range 0-4) vs. 1 (range 0-3); p = 0.04). Number of placental deoxygenations had the highest prognostic value for fetal/neonatal acidosis (area under the ROC curve 0.85 (95% confidence interval 0.70-0.99). Computer-based classification also identified number of placental deoxygenations as the most accurate classifier, with 25% false positive and 93% true positive rate in the training dataset, with 100% accuracy when applied to the testing dataset. Placental deoxygenations during labour measured by NIRS are associated with fetal/neonatal acidosis. Predictive value of placental NIRS for neonatal acidosis was superior to that of CTG.