Stillbirth
Definition and management of fetal growth restriction: a survey of contemporary attitudes
A national survey of obstetricians showed inconsistencies around the clinical management of pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction, highlighting the need for standardisation of terminology and management in national guidance.
- Authors
Julia Unterscheider, Keelin O'Donoghue
- Year
- 2014
- Journal Name
- European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology (EJOG)
- Category
- Journal Article
- Keywords
- Fetal growth restriction, Stillbirth
- Full Citation
Unterscheider J, Daly S, Geary MP, Kennelly MM, McAuliffe FM, O'Donoghue K, Hunter A, Morrison JJ, Burke G, Dicker P, Tully EC, Malone FD. Definition and management of fetal growth restriction: a survey of contemporary attitudes. European Journal of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Biology. 2014;174:41-5. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2013.
- Link to Publication
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejogrb.2013.11.022
Abstract
Poor fetal growth complicates around 10% of pregnancies. This paper describes a national survey of Irish Obstetricians who were asked about terminology, diagnosis and management approaches in pregnancies complicated by poor fetal growth. There were variations in terminology used to define poor fetal growth and differences in how pregnancies would be managed, including the types of ultrasound scans performed and the timing of birth. These results confirm the inconsistencies surrounding the clinical management of pregnancies with poor fetal growth and highlight the need to standardise terminology and care during pregnancy, preferably within national guidelines.