[Prognostic significance of single decelerations occurring in the antenatal CTG]

Within systematic fetal supervision by CTG of the risk pregnancies sometimes single decelerations of variable type are observed. Most they didn't repeat. In the majority of the cases in follow up pregnancy the child will be born spontaneously without complications. In a lot of other cases, however, there appears fetal distress. For prognostic statistical evaluation of antenatal decelerations we watched prospectively the following groups: 1.43 cases with severe antenatal variable decelerations, 2.39 cases with mild antenatal variable decelerations, 3.88 cases without antenatal decelerations. - The appearance of severe decelerations was followed by fetal distress in 42%, by perinatal death in 12%, and by caesarean delivery in 40%. Fetal prognosis in this group is significantly more unfavourable than in the two other groups with mild decelerations (fetal distress 15%, caesarean section 23%, no fetal loss) or without decelerations (fetal distress 13%, caesarean section 10%, no fetal loss). - Single severe decelerations in antenatal CTG must be evaluated as a symptom of high fetal risk.