Is intrapartum fever associated with ST-waveform changes of the fetal electrocardiogram? A retrospective cohort study
J H Becker1, J van Rijswijk, B Versteijnen
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University Medical Centre Utrecht, the Netherlands. j.h.becker@umcutrecht.nl
Objective:
To investigate the association between maternal intrapartum fever and ST-waveform changes of the fetal electrocardiogram.
Design:
Retrospective cohort study.
Setting:
Three academic and six non-academic teaching hospitals in the Netherlands.
Population:
Labouring women with a high-risk singleton pregnancy in cephalic position beyond 36 weeks of gestation.
Methods:
We studied 142 women with fever (≥38.0°C) during labour and 141 women with normal temperature who had been included in two previous studies. In both groups, we counted the number and type of ST-events and classified them as significant (intervention needed) or not significant, based on STAN(®) clinical guidelines.
Main Outcome Measures:
Number and type of ST-events.
Results:
Both univariable and multivariable regression analysis showed no association between the presence of maternal intrapartum fever and the number or type of ST-events.
Conclusions:
Maternal intrapartum fever is not associated with ST-segment changes of the fetal electrocardiogram. Interpretation of ST-changes in labouring women with fever should therefore not differ from other situations.
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