Authors: Philip J. Dutton, Lynne K. Warrander, Stephen A. Roberts, Giovanna Bernatavicius, Louise M. Byrd, David Gaze, Josh Kroll, Rebecca L. Jones, Colin P. Sibley, J. Frederik Frøen, Alexander E. P. Heazell
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0039784
Abstract Summary
Reduced fetal movement (RFM) affects 22% of pregnancies and signals potential placental problems. A study of 305 women found that abnormal fetal heart rate, maternal blood pressure, low estimated fetal weight, and reduced placental hormone hPL independently predicted poor outcomes. These findings suggest placental dysfunction drives RFM complications, offering new screening targets to identify at-risk babies earlier.
Why Brain? 🧠
Study identifies key predictors of adverse outcomes when mothers report reduced fetal movement, including abnormal heart rate, blood pressure, fetal weight, and placental hormones, enabling better risk assessment.
The image is AI-generated for illustrative purposes only. Courtesy of Midjourney.
