• Maritta Kühnert and Stephan Schmidt.
• Department of Obstetrics and Perinatology, University of Marburg, Marburg, Germany. dres-Kuehnert@t-online.de
• Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol. 2004 Dec 1;191(6):1989-95.

ObjectiveWe tested if fetal pulse oximetry in addition to electronic fetal monitoring (CTG) and scalp blood sampling improves the accuracy of fetal assessment and allows safe reduction of operative deliveries (-50%) and scalp blood sampling (-50%) performed because of nonreassuring fetal status. Study design A randomized controlled trial was conducted in 146 patients with term pregnancies in active labor and abnormal fetal heart rate patterns: 73 had electronic fetal heart rate monitoring (CTG) and fetal scalp blood sampling (control group), 73 had CTG, fetal scalp blood sampling, and continuous fetal pulse oximetry (study group).ResultsThere was a reduction of -50% in operative deliveries and fetal scalp blood sampling performed because of nonreassuring fetal status in the study group: operative deliveries, study versus control 25/49 (P ConclusionThere was a safe reduction in operative deliveries (-50%) and scalp blood sampling (-50%) performed because of nonreassuring fetal status. The increase in cesarean sections because of dystocia in the study group was a well-documented arrest of labor, but it did not change the total number of operative deliveries in this group.

28 keywords...

hide…