Maternal perception of preterm labor: is it reliable?

Area of Science:

• Obstetrics and Gynecology
• Maternal-Fetal Medicine
• Perinatology

Background:

• Accurate perception of uterine contractions is crucial for managing preterm labor.
• Understanding factors influencing maternal perception is key to improving monitoring.
• Previous research has not fully elucidated the reliability of self-reported contractions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the reliability of maternal perception of uterine contractions.
• To investigate the impact of gestational age on contraction perception.
• To evaluate the effect of maternal training and familiarity on perception accuracy.

Main Methods:

• A cohort of 350 high-risk pregnant patients were monitored from 20 to 35 weeks of gestation.
• Maternal perception of uterine contractions was compared against tocodynamometer recordings.
• A perception index (PI) was calculated as the ratio of perceived to documented contractions.

Main Results:

• Maternal perception (79%) did not significantly vary with gestational age.
• Perception Index (PI) remained stable within groups during monitoring, indicating learning.
• Twenty-one percent of preterm contractions were not perceived; 9.1% of women missed most contractions.

Conclusions:

• Maternal perception of uterine contractions is generally reliable and not significantly affected by gestational age.
• Familiarity with monitoring improves the consistency of perception but does not eliminate missed contractions.
• A significant portion of preterm contractions go unnoticed by pregnant women, necessitating further investigation into detection strategies.