Abdominal circumference (AC) in the fetus is the single most useful indicator of fetal growth abnormalities. Measurement of AC as well as DVP do not require extensive training. Our objective is to evaluate if introduction of bedside ultrasound during routine antenatal visits to evaluate fetal AC and amniotic fluid DVP would decrease the false positive rates of fundal height measurement in diagnosing intrauterine growth abnormalities.
The prior studies of routine ultrasound in low risk patients focused on the usual ultrasound evaluation which involves the use of advanced equipment and providers, including trained sonographers and physicians to perform and review the ultrasound, as well as a full examination with multiple fetal measurements and images. A number of recent analyses show that measurement of the abdominal circumference (AC) in the fetus is the single most useful indicator of fetal growth abnormalities. Measurement of AC as well as DVP do not require extensive training, long time to acquire, or expensive ultrasound machines. They can be easily performed in the office by providers who are specifically trained in obtaining these 2 measurements. Therefore, we intended to evaluate if introduction of bedside ultrasound during routine antenatal visits (point of care ultrasound or POC-US) to evaluate fetal AC and amniotic fluid DVP would decrease the false positive rates of fundal height measurement in diagnosing intrauterine growth abnormalities, and would improve the diagnosis of amniotic fluid volume and fetal growth deviations.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
177
The intervention includes reassuring the AC and DVP
University of Texas Medical Branch
Galveston, Texas, United States
Growth abnormalities rate
To compare the false positive rates between clinical evaluation of uterine size by SFH versus POC-US evaluation of AC and DVP.
Time frame: Up to 2 years
MFM ultrasounds
To compare fundal height (cm) versus bedside ultrasound on the overall rate of formal MFM ultrasound requests
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Clinical evaluation
To compare fundal height (cm) versus bedside ultrasound (abdominal circumference and Deep vertical pocket) on the prediction of birthweight \< 10th percentile or \> 90th percentile
Time frame: Up to 2 years
Maternal and neonatal outcomes
To compare maternal (emergency CD for non reassuring FHT, chorioamnionitis/post partum endometritis, wound infection/hematoma/seroma, PRBC transfusion, admission to the ICU, DVT/PE, maternal death) and perinatal (fetal death, neonatal death, Apgar score \>\< 4 at 5 min, neonatal seizures, umbilical-artery blood pH of 7.05 or less with a base deficit of 12 mmol per liter or more, intubation at delivery, neonatal encephalopathy) outcomes between strategy of clinical evaluation of uterine size versus bedside ultrasound (abdominal circumference and Deep vertical pocket)
Time frame: Up to 2 years
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