Do fetal monitoring tests predict adverse perinatal outcomes in pregnant women with absent end diastolic flow? A retrospective study

Abstract

Aim: To determine the ability of fetal monitoring tests to predict adverse perinatal outcomes in absent end diastolic flow (AEDF) babies. Materials and methods: A retrospective cohort study of pregnant women with AEDF during the period 2001 to 2009. Fetal monitoring tests of interest included amniotic fluid index (AFI), nonstress tests (NST), and Doppler flow studies. Adverse perinatal outcomes included perinatal/neonatal mortality, necrotizing enterocolitis, respiratory distress syndrome, and grades III/IV intraventricular hemorrhage. Sensitivity, specificity, likelihood ratios, adjusted odds ratios, area under the receiver operator characteristic curves (AUROC) and the 95% confidence intervals were determined. Study included 142 women with AEDF who delivered before 34 weeks. Indications for delivery included abnormal AFI in 6 (4.23%), worsening Doppler in 31 (21.83%), and abnormal NST in 48 (33.80%). An adverse fetal event was noted in 107 [75.35%, 95% confidence interial (CI) 68.18%, 82.53%]. Birth weight adjusted odds for an adverse perinatal outcome decreased (Odds ratio: 0.79, 95% CI: 0.56, 1.10, p = 0.16) with an increase in each week of gestation. Fetal monitoring tests did not have clinically meaningful positive/negative likelihood ratio or significant AUROC. Conclusion: Current fetal monitoring tests are more useful to identify noncompromised fetuses than to identify fetal distress. Delaying delivery till 34 weeks might improve outcomes.