Fetal demise following negative contraction stress tests

The contraction stress test (CST) has become widely used to assess antepartum fetal well-being over the past 5 years. A summary of 14 reports in the literature revealed seven fetal deaths in 1739 patients within 1 week of a negative CST, an incidence of 0.4%. This prompted an investigation of our results for comparison. During the period January 1, 1975, to February 28, 1977, 746 patients underwent 1119 CSTs. Seven fetal deaths occurred in 680 patients within 1 week of a negative CST, an incidence of 1.0%. Although maternal conditions associated with fetal demise within 1 week of a negative CST include diabetes mellitus, prolonged pregnancy, chronic hypertension, and pre-eclampsia, fetal death in most instances resulted from factors other than uteroplacental insufficiency (UPI). Conditions commonly associated with fetal demise following a negative CST were umbilical cord accidents, severe congenital anomalies, and abruptio placentae. The low incidence of fetal death after a negative CST supports continued use of the CST in evaluation of high-risk pregnancies.