The Outcome of Mothers Presenting with Reduced Fetal Movements in the Third Trimester of Pregnancy
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Keywords
Fetal movements, neonatal outcomes, Correlational study, maternal knowledge, stillbirth
Abstract
Introduction: There are different ways to evaluate the condition of the fetus during pregnancy. Counting fetal movements is the only way that the mother can use to check the health of the fetus without the need for a doctor and equipment. Fetal movements normally vary between 4 and 122 movements per hour. Awareness of fetal movements can aid in preventing stillbirths.
Materials and Methods: In this study, the term "reduction of fetal movement" referred to cases where pregnant mothers felt less than 12 fetal movements in two hours while at rest and focused on counting. The sample of this study was collected from pregnant women who reported reduced fetal movements and were referred to Al-Zahra Hospital in Tabriz between December 2022 to December 2023.
Results: In this study, 881 pregnant women between the ages of 18 and 42, with a mean age of 26.65, were included. The average age of these women was 26.61 years. In this study, 99.1% of the participants had a normal non-stress test (NST), and 92.8% had a normal biophysical profile (BPP). However, there were eight cases where the BPP results were not reported. Oligohydramnios was present in 10.6% of the patients. 19.7% of the mothers underwent a cesarean delivery. 6.3% of the neonates were admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) following birth. Only one case of stillbirth occurred. We have discovered a correlation between a lower amniotic fluid index (AFI) and a lower BPP. There was a correlation between lower BPP scores and lower Apgar scores at the first and fifth minutes after birth. Lower AFI was found to be correlated with a lower pH in the placental artery.
Conclusions: According to our results, it can be concluded that a mother's complaint of reduced fetal movement can be a valuable test to determine the health status of the fetus.
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