Fetal movement (kick) counts not useful as screening tool

January 01, 0001

Fetal movement (kick) counts not useful as screening tool

These Norwegian and Australian authors conducted a prospective cohort study in Norway aimed to describe patterns of maternally perceived fetal movement (FM) counts in normal third-trimester pregnancies and establish associations between published limits of decreased fetal movement (DFM) and FM patterns in the total population. Using a ‘count-to-ten’ approach, women counted FMs daily from pregnancy week 28 until delivery. Data on maternal characteristics and birth outcomes were obtained from the Medical Birth Registry of Norway and hospital records. They measured the observed mean counting time and examined differences between normal pregnancies and pregnancies with suboptimal outcomes.

They found: "A total of 1786 women were included. The mean time to perceive ten movements was approximately 10 minutes in normal pregnancies, with a less than 2-minute increase in the mean towards term. Fixed limits for DFMs had low predictive values. Overall, the mean counting time in pregnancies with suboptimal outcomes did not differ markedly from normal pregnancies."

The authors concluded: "This study does not support the notion that FM counts decrease at term in normal pregnancies. A standard approach to FM counting, applying the currently best-founded definition of DFM, was not useful as a screening tool for at-risk pregnancies in this population. Further research is needed to improve measurements of DFM."

Kick counts are not evidence-based screening.

For the full abstract, click here.

BJOG 118(10):1229-1238, September 2011 © 2011 to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
Analysis of ‘count-to-ten’ fetal movement charts: a prospective cohort study. BA Winje1, E Saastad1, N Gunnes1, JVH Tveit. Correspondence to Dr. Winje: [email protected]

Category: W. Pregnancy, Family Planning. Keywords: decreased fetal movement, fetal movements, kick counting, birth outcomes, prospective cohort study, journal watch.
Synopsis edited by Dr Linda French, Toledo, Ohio. Posted on Global Family Doctor 13 September 2011

Pearls are an independent product of the Cochrane primary care group and are meant for educational use and not to guide clinical care.