Re: [ozmidwifery] CTG & stillbirth

[Michelle Windsor]

Hi Sadie,

 

I guess the thing is that alot of people believe that a normal CTG (not in labour) is reassuring for fetal well being for the next 24 hours.  Obviously this wasn't the case for this baby. 

 

You said about doing emergency C/S for unressuring trace only to have the baby come out screaming.... don't you think this shows CTG's are unreliable?

 

Cheers Michelle

Sadie <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

CTG's can only reveal what is happening at that moment and are subjective to interpretation. Often a CTG can look positively awful, and yet after FBS the pH is fine - and how often have many of us taken an emergency C/S to theatre because of a trace that was not reassuring - to have a screaming, healthy baby emerge (thank goodness, as you are on stand-by with resus). This is very sad Michelle, but you cannot say this has happened because CTG's are unreliable. The CTG at 3pm was probably reflecting accurately - and the poor midwife who was responsible for performing that CTG will be feeling bad enough as it is.

Just my thoughts having been through a similar situation..................

 

Sadie

----- Original Message -----

From: Michelle Windsor

To: Ozmidwifery

Sent: Saturday, May 27, 2006 5:15 PM

Subject: [ozmidwifery] CTG & stillbirth

 

 

Recently where I work a primip come in at term plus 7 days in early labour about 11pm.  She had a CTG at 3pm which was reactive, good variability etc.  (they do routine CTG's on post-dates women).  The woman wasn't in established labour and the midwife suggested she return home.  The woman wasn't keen for this so stayed and the FHR was auscultated every couple of hours and was normal, with the woman still not in active labour.  Apparently after change of shift the next midwife couldn't find a FHR and USS confirmed the baby had died within the last couple of hours.  I wasn't caring for this woman so don't know all the details but apparently she had an uneventful pregnancy although she had presented three times during pregnancy with decreased movements and the CTG's were always normal.

 

To me it just proves again the unreliability of CTG's.  Just interested in what others think.....

 

Cheers

Michelle

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