Antenatal cardiotocography for fetal assessment

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Clinical Effectiveness Research

Background:

• Cardiotocography (CTG) monitors fetal heart rate using ultrasound.
• It is widely used to assess fetal well-being, especially in high-risk pregnancies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of antenatal cardiotocography (traditional and computerised) in improving maternal and infant outcomes.
• To assess its impact during and after pregnancy.

Main Methods:

• Searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register for relevant randomised and quasi-randomised trials.
• Included studies compared traditional CTG vs. no CTG, computerised CTG vs. no CTG, or computerised CTG vs. traditional CTG.
• Two independent reviewers assessed study eligibility, quality, and extracted data.

Main Results:

• Six studies involving 2105 women were included; overall study quality was low.
• Traditional CTG showed no significant difference in perinatal mortality or caesarean sections compared to no CTG.
• Computerised CTG significantly reduced perinatal mortality compared to traditional CTG, but no significant difference was found in other outcomes.

Conclusions:

• Current evidence does not clearly demonstrate that antenatal CTG improves perinatal outcomes.
• Further research on computerised CTG in high-risk pregnancies is recommended.