The Results of a Prospective Cohort Study of the Effectiveness of the Algorithm for Monitoring Pregnancies in Patients from the Group of High Perinatal Risk to Reduce Perinatal Losses and Improve Neonatal Outcome

Abstract

Prenatal prognosis is an important part of obstetric care, which aims to reduce fetal and neonatal losses. A differentiated approach to the management of different risk groups allows you to optimize existing approaches.

The objective: сomparison of pregnancy results in the high perinatal risk group using the proposed monitoring algorithms and the traditional method of management in a prospective cohort study.

Materials and methods. The prospective cohort study was conducted from 2016 to 2018 on the basis of the medical center LLC «Uniclinica», Medical Genetics Center «Genome», Clinic of Reproductive Genetics «Victoria», Kyiv City Maternity Hospital №2. 580 women were included in the final analysis. Exclusion criteria were: low risk (0–2) according to the adapted antenatal risk scale (Alberta perinatal health program), multiple pregnancy, critical malformations and chromosomal abnormalities of the fetus, lack of complete information about the outcome of pregnancy, lack of results of all intermediate clinical and laboratory surveys.

Results. The introduction of a comprehensive differentiated approach has improved the diagnosis of late forms of growth retardation (OR 4,14 [1.42–12.09]; p=0,009), reduced the frequency of urgent cesarean sections (OR 1,61 [1,03–2,49]; p=0,046) and reduced perinatal mortality [1,09–21,3]; р=0,041) due to reduction of antenatal losses (OR 2,2 [1,06–4,378]; р=0,045). There was a significant increase in the frequency of planned cesarean sections (p<0,0001, without affecting the total number of operative deliveries) and statistically insignificant, but tendentiously clear shifts to the increase in the frequency of preterm birth between 34–37 weeks of pregnancy and intensive care unit. The latter observation can be explained by better diagnosis of threatening fetal conditions and an increase in the frequency of active obstetric tactics, which in turn affects the number of premature infants, the involvement of the neonatal service, and thus the intensification of the load on intensive.

Conclusions. Adequate enhanced monitoring should combine ultrasound, cardiotocography, actography and laboratory techniques, each of which will have a clearly defined purpose in a combined approach to fetal assessment.