Development of a tool to evaluate fetal movements in full-term pregnancy.
OBJECTIVE
To study women's description of fetal movements in full-term pregnancy. Further to investigate if their descriptions could be sorted with regard to intensity and type of movements, using a matrix under development to be a tool for evaluating fetal movements in clinical praxis.


METHODS
Data were collected by distributing questionnaires including an open question: "Please describe your perception of the baby's movements during this gestational week." A matrix listed seven categories of movements divided into powerful and non-powerful movements, was used for the content analysis.


RESULTS
393 (78%) women responded to the open question. The movements were split into two domains: Powerful movements and Non-powerful movements. Altogether, 383 (96%) women perceived fetal movements that were sorted as powerful movement: firm, slow stretching, large and side to side. Ten (4%) women described movements exclusively, i.e. movements that did not include any of the movements in the powerful domain. Most women perceived movements that corresponded to more than one type of category, and all movements described by the women could be referred to at least one of the categories in the matrix.


CONCLUSIONS
The matrix was useful for identification of the women's perceptions of fetal movements in full-term pregnancy. Further studies are needed in order to develop the tool and its potential to evaluate the well-being of the fetus before it is to be used in clinical praxis.
School of Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: mcm@du.se.
Mari-Cristin
MC
Malm
School of Health and Social Studies, Dalarna University, 791 88 Falun, Sweden; Institute of Health and Caring Sciences, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Box 100, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: helena.lindgren@gu.se.
Helena
H
Lindgren
Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden. Electronic address: christine.rubertsson@kbh.uu.se.
Christine
C
Rubertsson
Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, 751 85 Uppsala, Sweden; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden; Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, 851 70 Sundsvall, Sweden. Electronic address: ingegerd.hildingsson@miun.se.
Ingegerd
I
Hildingsson
Sophiahemmet University College, Box 5605, 114 86 Stockholm, Sweden. Electronic address: ingela.radestad@shh.se.
Ingela
I
Rådestad
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005324:Fetal Movement; D006801:Humans; D010465:Perception; D011247:Pregnancy; D011263:Pregnancy Trimester, Third; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult
Fetal movements; Obstetric; Pregnancy