[ozmidwifery] CTG

[Mary Murphy]

This is the most recent review of the value of CTG.  It is convincing and has the power of numbers, but… no one take any notice of it.  MM “Continuous cardiotocography (CTG) as a form of electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) for fetal assessment during labour.” Alfirevic Z, Devane D, Gyte GML This is a Cochrane review abstract and plain language summary, prepared and maintained by The Cochrane Collaboration. The full text of the review is available in The Cochrane Library (ISSN 1464-780X). The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2006 Issue 3 Copyright © 2006 The Cochrane Collaboration. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Plain language summary: Authors' conclusions Continuous cardiotocography during labour is associated with a reduction in neonatal seizures, but no significant differences in cerebral palsy, infant mortality or other standard measures of neonatal well-being. However, continuous cardiotocography was associated with an increase in caesarean sections and instrumental vaginal births. The real challenge is how best to convey this uncertainty to women to enable them to make an informed choice without compromising the normality of labour.