Induction of Labour In Growth Restricted and Small for Gestational Age Fetuses - A Historical Cohort Study

• Published in: Zeitschrift fur Geburtshilfe und Neonatologie Vol. 223; no. 1; p. 40
• Main Authors: Kehl, Sven, Weiss, Christel, Dammer, Ulf, Berlit, Sebastian, Große-Steffen, Thomas, Faschingbauer, Florian, Sütterlin, Marc, Beckmann, Matthias W, Schneider, Michael O
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: German
• Published: Germany 01-02-2019
• Subjects: Cardiotocography; Cesarean Section - statistics & numerical data; Cohort Studies; Female; Fetal Blood - chemistry; Fetal Growth Retardation - therapy; Germany; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Infant, Small for Gestational Age; Intensive Care Units, Neonatal - statistics & numerical data; Labor, Induced - methods; Male; Patient Transfer - statistics & numerical data; Pregnancy; Pregnancy Outcome; Reference Values; Germany
• ISSN: 1439-1651
• DOI: 10.1055/a-0809-6110

Induction of labour for small-for-gestational-age (SGA) foetus or intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) is common, but data are limited. The aim of this trial was therefore to compare labour induction for SGA/IUGR with cases with normal fetal growth beyond the 10
percentile.
This historical multicentre cohort study included singleton pregnancies at term. Labour induction for SGA/IUGR (IUGR group) was compared with cases of fetal growth beyond the 10
percentile (control group). Primary outcome measure was caesarean section rate.
The caesarean section rate was not different between the 2 groups (27.0 vs. 26.2%, p=0.9154). In the IUGR group, abnormal CTG was more common (30.8 vs. 21.9%, p=0.0214), and fetal blood analyses were conducted more often (2.5 vs. 0.5%, p=0.0261). There were more postpartum transfers to the NICU in the IUGR group (40.0 vs. 12.8%, p<0.0001), too.
Induction of labour for fetal growth restriction was not associated with an increased rate of caesarean section.