Continuous fetal heart rate monitoring: Is there a conflict between confidential enquiry findings and results of randomized trials?

Neilson JP. EFM+scalp blood sampling vs intermittent auscultation in labour. In Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Database; Issue 2. Oxford: Update Software, 1995

Confidential Enquiries into Stillbirths and Deaths in Infancy, 4th Report. London: Maternal & Child Health Research Consortium, 1997

Haverkamp AD , Thompson HE , McFee JG , Cetrulo C. The evaluation of continuous fetal heart rate monitoring in high risk pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1976; 125: 310–17

Renou P , Chang A , Anderson I , Wood C. Controlled trial of fetal intensive care. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1976; 126: 470–6

Thacker SB , Stroup DF. Continuous electronic heart rate monitoring for fetal assessment during labor. Cochrane Library; Issue 2. Oxford: Update Software, 2000

Vintzileos AM , Antsaklis A , Varvarigos I , Papas C , Sofatzis I , Montgomery JT. A randomized trial of intrapartum electronic fetal heart rate monitoring versus intermittent auscultation. Obstet Gynecol 1993; 81: 899–907

Grant A , O'Brien N , Joy MT , Hennessy E , MacDonald D. Cerebral palsy among children born during the Dublin randomized trial of intrapartum monitoring. Lancet 1989; ii: 1233–6

Mongelli M , Chung TK , Chang AMZ. Obstetric intervention and benefit in conditions of prevalence. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1998; 105: 246–7

Vintzileos AM , Nochimson DJ , Guzman MD , Knuppel RA , Lake M , Schifrin BS. Intrapartum electronic fetal heart rate monitoring versus intermittent auscultation: a meta-analysis. Obstet Gynecol 1995; 85: 149–55

Gardosi J. Systematic reviews: insufficient evidence on which to base medicine. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1998; 105: 1–5

Office for National Statistics. Health Statistics Quarterly 3, London: ONS, 1999

Alberman E , Blatchley N , Botting B , Dunn A. Medical causes on stillbirth certificates in England and Wales; distribution and results of hierarchical classifications. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 1997; 104: 1043–9

Hornbuckle J , Vail A , Abrams KR , Thornton JG. Bayesian interpretation of trials: the example of intrapartum electronic fetal heart monitoring. Br J Obstet Gynaecol 2000; 107: 3–10

Niswander K , Henson G , Elbourne D Adverse outcome of pregnancy and the quality of obstetric care. Lancet 1984; ii: 827–31

Gaffney G , Sellars S , Flavell V , Squier M , Johnson A. Case-control study of intrapartum care, cerebral palsy, and perinatal death. BMJ 1994; 308: 743–50

Confidential Enquiries into Stillbirths and Deaths in Infancy 5th Report. London: Maternal and Child Health Research Consortium, 1998

Parer JT , King T. Fetal heart rate monitoring: is it salvageable? Am J Obstet Gynecol 2000; 182: 982–7

Beaulieu MD , Fabia J , Leduc B The reproducibility of the intrapartum cardiotocogram assessments. Can Med Assoc J 1982; 127: 214–16

Barrett JFR , Jarvis GJ , MacDonald HN , Puchan PC , Tyrell SN , Lilford RJ. Inconsistencies in clinical decisions in obstetrics. Lancet 1990; 336: 549–51

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Planning Workshop. Electronic fetal heart rate monitoring: research guidelines for interpretation. Am J Obstet Gynecol 1997; 177: 1385–90