Skip to content

Effects of Fetal Movement Counting on Maternal and Fetal Outcome Among High Risk Pregnant Woman

Effects of Fetal Movement Counting on Maternal and Fetal Outcome Among High Risk Pregnant Woman: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04548102
Enrollment
100
Registered
2020-09-14
Start date
2019-09-30
Completion date
2020-07-31
Last updated
2020-09-14

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

High Risk, Pregnancy

Keywords

Fetal Movement, Maternal Outcome, Risk Pregnancy

Brief summary

Up till now, there is insufficient evidence that daily fetal movement counting for pregnant women who are already have a history of high risk pregnancy is beneficial or not in term of early detection and preventing adverse pregnancy outcomes. Aim The aim of the current study is to evaluate the effect of fetal movement counting on maternal and fetal outcome

Detailed description

The researchers met the pregnant women in antenatal clinics during their routine follow up. Woman who was eligible to be recruited in the study signed the consent after description of the study's purpose. Pregnant women in the study group received verbal information regarding normal fetal movements (i.e. description of the changing pattern of movement as the fetus develops, normal sleep/wake cycles, and factors which may modify the mother's perception of movements such as maternal weight and placental position), and its importance to be followed during the third trimester. Further, each pregnant woman in the study group was trained how to count the fetal movement (i.e.lying down on her left side after taking her meal, and concentrating on fetal movements, calculate it three times per day, half an hour/ one time and record it in the chart). As a rule, if there are less than 10 movements felt in 2 hours, women should contact her health care provider immediately (Royal college of obstetrician & gynecologists, 2011). Fetal movements counting chart was provided and women telephoned once a week in order to ensure proper recording. They also asked to present the fetal movements' chart to the researcher and thier health care providers in each antenatal follow up visit. Pregnant women in both groups; the study and the control groups followed according to thier antenatal visits schedule till delivery. Women in the control group received the antenatal hospital standard care. The maternal and neonatal outcomes had been assessed at delivery unit.

Interventions

OTHERFetal movement count

Pregnant women in the study group received verbal information regarding normal fetal movements (i.e. description of the changing pattern of movement as the fetus develops, normal sleep/wake cycles, and factors which may modify the mother's perception of movements such as maternal weight and placental position), and its importance to be followed during the third trimester. A chart for fetal movements counting provided and to ensure proper performance of this task, women telephoned once a week. They also asked to show the fetal movements chart to the researcher and the health care providers in each visit. Women followed according to her antenatal visits schedule till delivery.

Sponsors

Cairo University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Intervention group versus control group

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
FEMALE
Age
18 Years to 40 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Second gravida * Singleton * 28 weeks gestation * History of pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) * History of premature rupture of membrane (PROM) * History of preterm labor * History of gestational diabetes * History of antepartum hemorrhage * History of stillbirth * History of fetal growth restriction

Exclusion criteria

* History of psychological problems * Drugs abuse * Experience any terrible life events during the past 6 months * Oligohydramnios * Multi-fetal pregnancy * Fetal abnormalities * Smoking

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Decreased fetal movement count37 weeks gestationMothers' self report
Intrauterine fetal death37 weeks gestationAntenatal follow up and examination
Still birthWithin 24 hoursafter deliveryDeliver died fetus or died within 24hrs. after delivery
NICU admission10 minutes after deliveryNewborn Apgar at fifth minutes less than 6

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pregnancy complications37 weeks gestationAny progress in mothers' medical conditions that affect thier pregnancy outcomes
Delivery outcomeImmediatly after deliveryMode of delivery and delivery complications

Countries

Egypt

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026