Cardiotocography in the prognosis of perinatal outcome

The objective of the study was to examine whether cardiotocography can (CTG) predict asphyxia of the embryo, manifested as hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), and to what extent one can rely on CTG record.

Retrospective research was carried out at the Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics UKC Tuzla and medical documentation from the history of mothers and newborns was used. The study group consisted of 68 pregnancies and newborns who developed HIE. The control group consisted of 40 pregnancies, which resulted in birth of healthy newborns--without signs of asphyxia. CTG records were analyzed, Apgar score, the ways of finishing delivery.

Pathological CTG records (bradycardia 100, tachycardia 180, silent type of curve, late decelerations) were found in 45 (66.17%) cases of the study group in comparison to 11 (27.5%) in the control group. In the study group Apgar score in 5th minute lower than 7 had 17.46% newborns and the highest incidence of the normally finished deliveries. We conclude that cardiotocography is one of the reliable methods of fetal monitoring in pregnancy and delivery, and that pathological CTG record very likely indicates the possible presence of perinatal asphyxia.

Achieving a low degree of correlation between pathological intrapartum cardiotocography findings and long-term outcome of children can be achieved by rapid and adequate obstetric intervention and the relatively short duration of fetal acidosis, and optimal procedures during intensive care of newborns.