Open AccessNeurodevelopmental Outcome and Electronic Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring in a Neonatal Intensive Care Population
Author(s) -
Holmqvist P.,
Svenningsen N. W.,
Ingemarsson I.
Publication year - 1984
Publication title -
acta obstetricia et gynecologica scandinavica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.401
H-Index - 102
eISSN - 1600-0412
pISSN - 0001-6349
DOI - 10.3109/00016348409156714
Subject(s) - medicine , neonatal intensive care unit , apgar score , pediatrics , population , incidence (geometry) , gestational age , small for gestational age , pregnancy , obstetrics , intensive care , intensive care medicine , physics , environmental health , biology , optics , genetics
. In a one‐year population, 1977, of newborn infants admitted to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) the incidence of persistent neurodevelopmental handicaps was 3%, i.e. 13 of 427 survivors at 2 years of age. Transient abnormalities during the first 6 months of life were found in 63 infants, but after 6 months of age they were all normal at follow‐up examinations. Most mothers with infants showing transient abnormalities or persistent handicaps had a high‐risk pregnancy but one‐third (35.5%) had a low‐risk pregnancy and in this group 4 out of 7 cases with persistent major neurodevelopmental handicaps were found. In the total one‐year population, 6% showed ominous fetal heart rate patterns (FHR) in labor compared with 31% of infants with later abnormalities and handicaps. Furthermore, all 13 infants with persistent handicaps had a normal Apgar score at 5 min, indicating that Apgar scoring was less predictive than FHR for neurodevelopmental outcome. Altogether 54 infants born in 1977 were small for gestational age (SGA): 33 NICU‐treated and 21 not NICU‐treated. Seven (6 NICU‐treated, 1 not NICU‐treated) had transient abnormalities (12.9%). No SGA infant developed persistent handicaps. The results suggest an improved obstetric and neonatal care of these infants.