1,2 A simple explanation provided by some women presenting with DFM is that they have been ‘too busy to feel fetal movements’. 4 Various drugs, including alcohol, benzodiazepines, methadone and other opioids, and cigarette smoking, can cause transient suppression of fetal movement. 1 Multiple factors can decrease perception of movement, including early gestation, a reduced volume of amniotic fluid, fetal sleep state, obesity, anterior placenta (up to 28 weeks gestation), smoking and nulliparity. 1–2,6 Research has shown that there is a correlation of 37–88% between maternal perception and ultrasound. 2,4 Perception of movementįetal movement is a subjective measure, mainly assessed by maternal perception. 1 Women should be educated about DFM during antenatal visits, and be given verbal and written information. 1 As the fetus matures, the amount of movement and the nature of movement will change. 1 Sleep cycles, in which fetal movements can be absent, usually last 20–40 minutes and rarely exceed 90 minutes. The average number of movements perceived at term is 31 per hour, ranging from 16–45, the longest period between movements being 50–75 minutes. 1 The majority of pregnant women report fetal movements by 20 weeks of gestation. 1 Fetal movements provide reassurance of the integrity of the central nervous and musculoskeletal systems. Normal fetal movements can be defined as 10 or more fetal movements in 2 hours, felt by a woman when she is lying on her side and focusing on the movement, 2–4,6 which may be perceived as ‘any discrete kick, flutter, swish or roll’. Pregnant women should therefore be advised to report DFM, as recognition and management may provide an opportunity to prevent adverse outcomes. Perinatal mortality rate for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples is 20. births, and the neonatal death rate is 2. 5 In Australia, the current fetal death rate is 7. 2 Despite advances in obstetric care and decreased perinatal mortality rates in high-income countries, fetal death rates have remained stagnant for the last decade. In particular, DFM is associated with an increased risk of perinatal death (this includes fetal and neonatal deaths).
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |