Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2016 Jul 19;16(1):169.
doi: 10.1186/s12884-016-0964-2.

Perinatal outcomes of reduced fetal movements: a cohort study

Claire M McCarthy  1 , S Meaney  2 , K O'Donoghue  3
Affiliations

Perinatal outcomes of reduced fetal movements: a cohort study

Claire M McCarthy et al. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. .

Abstract

Background: The perception of reduced fetal movement (RFM) is an important marker of fetal wellbeing and is associated with poor perinatal outcome (such as intra-uterine death).

Methods: We conducted a prospective study of women presenting with RFM over 28 weeks' gestation to a tertiary-level maternity hospital. We examined pregnancy outcomes and compared them to a retrospectively collected control group delivering contemporaneously.

Results: In total, 275 presentations were analysed in the RFM group, with 264 in the control group. Women with RFM were more likely to be nulliparous (p = 0.002) and have an induction of labour (p = 0.0011). 26.5 % (n = 73) of cases were admitted following presentation with RFM, and 79.4 % (n = 58) delivered on primary presentation. Overall, 15.2 % (n = 42) women were induced for RFM specifically.

Conclusion: This prospective study shows the increased burden of care required by those with RFM, including increased neonatal unit admission rates, increased induction rates and higher surveillance demands, demonstrating the need for increased attention to this area of practice.

Keywords: Fetal movement; Kick counting; Perinatal outcome; Stillbirth.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Flow diagram with exclusion criteria
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Sergent F, Lefevre A. Verspyck E, Marpeau L. Decreased fetal movements in the third trimester: what to do? Gynécologie Obstétrique Fertilité. 2005;33:861–9. - PubMed
    1. Efkarpidis S, Alexopoulos E, Kean L. Liu D, Fay T. Case–control study of factors associated with intrauterine fetal deaths”. Medscape General Med. 2000;6:53. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Saastad E, Vangen S, Froen JF. Suboptimal care in stillbirths - a retrospective audit study”. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2007;86(4):444––50. doi: 10.1080/00016340701207724. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Fossen D, Silberg IE. Perinatal deaths in the county of Ostfold 1989–97. Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 1999;119:1272–1275. - PubMed
    1. Knight M, Tuffnell D, Kenyon S, Shakespeare J, Gray R, Kurinczuk JJ, on behalf of MBRRACE-UK . Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care - Surveillance of maternal deaths in the UK 2011–13 and lessons learned to inform maternity care from the UK and Ireland Confidential Enquiries into Maternal Deaths and Morbidity 2009–13. Oxford: National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, University of Oxford; 2015.

LinkOut - more resources