Cochrane review finds that use of cardiotocograph on admission to the labour ward, rather than intermittent auscultation of the fetal heart rate, may increase risk of caesarean in low-risk women
- Department of Midwifery, Technological Educational Institution, Athens, Greece
- Correspondence to Kleanthi Gourounti
Department of Midwifery, Technological Educational Institution, Ag Spyridonos Athens 12210, Greece;
Implications for practice and research
Healthcare professionals should inform women with low obstetric risk factors that intrapartum admission cardiotocography (CTG) increases the likelihood of caesarean section (CS) with no evidence for neonatal benefit.
Future trials with adequate power to detect an impact on perinatal mortality are needed.
The effect of admission CTG on holistic-oriented outcomes (eg, women's labour satisfaction) should be explored.
Admission CTG is a short, usually 20-min, recording of the fetal heart rate immediately after admission to the labour ward that aims to identify a …