title: Failure of intensive fetal monitoring and ultrasound in reducing the stillbirth rate.
abstract: Although highly popularized among obstetricians, there are conflicting results regarding the efficacy of high-resolution ultrasound and other fetal well-being tests on improving neonatal outcome and morbidity. To assess the impact of unrestricted fetal well-being tests and sonographic evaluations on the stillbirth rate, we evaluated a total of 1,810 pregnancies 20 weeks of gestation or more from a single private clinic serving a mixed population of high and low-risk patients. All patients were performed high-resolution sonography during each trimester of pregnancy. In addition, on each prenatal visit, fetal heart rate, position and amniotic fluid index were documented by a limited sonographic scan. Further sonographic studies were done whenever deemed necessary depending on the clinical situation. Biophysical profiles were performed in the third trimester at any time a risk factor was identified, and repeated as frequently as estimated necessary. All cases of fetal death in utero were documented and the associated maternal risk factors assessed. A total of 14 stillbirths occurred among the 1,810 patients. The stillbirth rate for this population was determined to be 7.7/1000 births (U.S. national average of 6.7-7.8/1000 births). The most common associated maternal complications were Diabetes (4 cases) and Antiphospholipid syndrome (3 cases). All except for one fetus lost at 37 weeks had at least one identifiable maternal risk factor. These results prove that intensive fetal surveillance, even when unrestricted by economic concerns, has limited effectiveness in avoiding fetal demise. This is most probably due to acute placental and cord accidents that cannot be detected promptly enough or that are simply unavoidable.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medical Sciences Campus, University of Puerto Rico, PO Box 365067, San Juan, Puerto Rico 00936-5067. delavega@coqui.net
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: de la Vega
authors.forename: Maribelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Verdiales
mesh_terms: D000059:Accidents; D016736:Antiphospholipid Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D005315:Fetal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005316:Fetal Distress / Q000175:diagnosis; D005318:Fetal Heart / Q000502:physiology; D005323:Fetal Monitoring; D005865:Gestational Age; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D010920:Placenta; D011247:Pregnancy; D011248:Pregnancy Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011254:Pregnancy in Diabetics / Q000453:epidemiology; D018566:Pregnancy, High-Risk; D011272:Pregnancy, Multiple; D011295:Prenatal Care / Q000191:economics; D011647:Puerto Rico / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal; D014470:Umbilical Cord