Antenatal testing-a reevaluation: executive summary of a Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development workshop

Abstract

In August 2007, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, the National Institutes of Health Office of Rare Diseases, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the American Academy of Pediatrics cosponsored a 2-day workshop to reassess the body of evidence supporting antepartum assessment of fetal well-being, identify key gaps in the evidence, and formulate recommendations for further research. Participants included experts in obstetrics and fetal physiology and representatives from relevant stakeholder groups and organizations. This article is a summary of the discussions at the workshop, including synopses of oral presentations on the epidemiology of stillbirth and fetal neurological injury, fetal physiology, techniques for antenatal monitoring, and maternal and fetal indications for monitoring. Finally, a synthesis of recommendations for further research compiled from three breakout workgroups is presented.

Figure 1

Progression of Doppler and biophysical findings in severe fetal growth restriction. NST, nonstress test; absent or reversed end-diastolic flow; MCA, middle cerebral artery; DV, ductus venosus; fetal breathing movements. Data from Baschat AA, Gembruch U, Harman CR. The sequence of changes in Doppler and biophysical parameters as severe fetal growth restriction worsens. Ultrasound Obstet Gynecol 2001;18:571-7.