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Fetal ST Segment and T Wave Analysis in Labor

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Parturition
Pregnancy
Obstetric Labor
Interventions
Device: fetal STAN monitor
Registration Number
NCT01131260
Lead Sponsor
The George Washington University Biostatistics Center
Brief Summary

The purpose of this research is to test a new instrument, called a fetal STAN monitor, that may be used during labor to monitor the electrical activity of the baby's heart. This new instrument is designed to help the doctor determine how well the baby is doing during labor. It will be used along with the existing electronic fetal monitor used to measure the baby's heart rate and the mother's contractions during birth. The specific purpose of this research study is to see if this new instrument (fetal STAN monitor) will have an impact on newborn health.

Detailed Description

A Randomized Trial of Fetal ECG ST Segment and T Wave Analysis as an Adjunct to Electronic Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring (STAN):

Fetal ECG analysis of the ST segment (STAN) is now FDA-approved and clinically available in the United States as an adjunct for the interpretation of electronic fetal heart rate patterns. There have been a number of randomized controlled trials as well as observational studies in Europe documenting utility of this modality in terms of reducing fetal acidosis at birth, and decreasing the need for operative vaginal delivery. However, despite these endorsements, there remain concerns with the application of the technology to the United States. None of the randomized trials were performed in the United States where patient case-mix and obstetrical practice, such as the use of fetal scalp pH, differ from Europe, which may affect the impact of this technology on perinatal outcomes. Moreover, the results of the European studies are not uniformly positive.

This protocol describes a randomized controlled trial of the STAN technology as an adjunct to electronic fetal heart rate monitoring versus fetal heart rate monitoring alone.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
Female
Target Recruitment
11108
Inclusion Criteria
  • Singleton, cephalic pregnancy
  • Gestational age at least 36 weeks, 1 day
  • Cervical dilation of at least 2 cm and no more than 7 cm
  • Ruptured membranes
Exclusion Criteria
  • Multifetal gestation
  • Planned cesarean delivery
  • Need for immediate delivery
  • Absent variability or sinusoidal pattern at any time, or a Category II fetal heart rate pattern with absent variability in the last 20 minutes before randomization
  • Inability to obtain or maintain an adequate signal within 3 trials of electrode placements
  • Occurrence of any ST event during attempt to obtain adequate signal
  • Patient pushing in the first stage of labor
  • Known major fetal anomaly or fetal demise
  • Previous uterine surgery
  • Placenta previa on admission
  • Maternal fever greater than or equal to 38 C or 100.4 F
  • Active HSV infection
  • Known HIV or hepatitis infection
  • Other maternal and fetal contraindications for using the STAN monitor
  • Enrollment in another labor study
  • Participation in this trial in a previous pregnancy
  • No certified or authorized provider available

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Open Groupfetal STAN monitor• Fetal STAN monitor electrode inserted and data available to caregivers
Masked Groupfetal STAN monitor•Fetal STAN monitor electrode inserted, but data masked to the caregivers
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Number of Participants With Primary Composite OutcomeFrom Delivery through 1 month of age

Composite primary outcome of intrapartum fetal death, neonatal death, Apgar score \<=3 at 5 minutes, neonatal seizure, umbilical artery blood pH \<= 7.05 with base deficit \>=12 mmol/L in extra-cellular fluid, intubation for ventilation at delivery, neonatal encelphalopathy

Number of Intrapartum Fetal Deaths (Primary Outcome Component)During labor and through delivery of the baby

Death of the fetus during the intrapartum period.

Number of Infants With Apgar Score < = 3 at 5 Minutes (Primary Outcome Component)5 minutes after delivery

The Apgar score is a simple method of quickly assessing the health and vital signs of a newborn baby created by and named after Dr. Virginia Apgar. Apgar testing assesses Appearance, Pulse, Grimace and Activity in a newborn and is typically done at one and five minutes after a baby is born, and it may be repeated at 10, 15, and 20 minutes if the score is low. The five criteria are each scored as 0, 1, or 2 (two being the best), and the total score is calculated by then adding the five values obtained. Agar scores of 0-3 are critically low, 4-6 are below normal, and indicate that the baby likely requires medical intervention, scores of 7+ are considered normal. The lower the Apgar score, the more alert the medical team should be to the possibility of the baby requiring intervention. Some components of the Apgar score are subjective, and there are cases in which a baby requires urgent medical treatment despite having a high Apgar score. The lowest score is 0, the highest score is 10.

Number of Infants Who Experienced Neonatal Seizure (Primary Outcome Component)Birth through hospital discharge

Number of infants who experienced Neonatal Seizure

Number of Neonatal Deaths (Primary Outcome Component)Delivery through1 month of age

Death of the newborn between delivery and1 month of age

Number of Infants Experiencing Neonatal Encephalopathy (Primary Outcome Component)Delivery through hospital discharge

Neonatal encephalopathy experienced between delivery and discharge

Number of Infants With Umbilical-artery Blood pH < = 7.05 and Base Deficit in Extracellular Fluid > = 12 mmol/Liter (Primary Outcome Component)Delivery

Umbilical-artery blood pH \< = 7.05 and base deficit in extracellular fluid \> = 12 mmol/liter

Number of Neonates Intubated for Ventilation at Delivery (Primary Outcome Component)Delivery

Neonatal intubation for ventilation in the delivery room

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Median Duration of Labor Post-randomizationOnset of Labor through delivery

Duration of labor in hours after randomization through delivery

Number of Participants by Indication for CesareanAt any time from randomization through delivery

indication for the cesarean delivery

Number of Infants Admitted to Special Care NurseryDelivery and 1 month of age

Intermediate care nursery or neonatal intensive care (anything more than well-baby nursery)

Number of Infants With Meconium Aspiration SyndromeDelivery through discharge

Meconium aspiration syndrome

Number of Infants With a Major Congenital MalformationDelivery

Major congenital malformation

Number of Neonates With Shoulder Dystocia During DeliveryDelivery

Presence of shoulder dystocia during delivery

Number of Participants Experiencing Postpartum EndometritisDelivery through hospital discharge

Postpartum endometritis

Number of Participants With an Indication for Forceps or Vacuum DeliveryDuring labor through delivery

Indication for delivery by forceps or vacuum

Number of Participants Who Had a Postpartum Blood TransfusionDelivery through hospital discharge

Blood transfusion from delivery and through hospital stay until discharge

Median Length of Hospital StayFrom admission to labor and delivery through hospital discharge

Days of stay in the hospital

Number of Participants by Delivery MethodDelivery

Method of delivery of the baby: spontaneous, vacuum assisted, forceps, cesarean

Median Apgar Score at 5 Minutes5 minutes after Delivery

The Apgar score is a simple method of quickly assessing the health and vital signs of a newborn baby created by and named after Dr. Virginia Apgar. Apgar testing assesses Appearance, Pulse, Grimace and Activity in a newborn and is typically done at one and five minutes after a baby is born, and it may be repeated at 10, 15, and 20 minutes if the score is low. The five criteria are each scored as 0, 1, or 2 (two being the best), and the total score is calculated by then adding the five values obtained. Agar scores of 0-3 are critically low, 4-6 are below normal, and indicate that the baby likely requires medical intervention, scores of 7+ are considered normal. The lower the Apgar score, the more alert the medical team should be to the possibility of the baby requiring intervention. Some components of the Apgar score are subjective, and there are cases in which a baby requires urgent medical treatment despite having a high Apgar score.

Number of Participants With ChorioamnionitisAny time from Randomization through Delivery

Chorioamnionitis

Trial Locations

Locations (13)

Northwestern University

🇺🇸

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Oregon Health & Science University

🇺🇸

Portland, Oregon, United States

University of Texas - Galveston

🇺🇸

Galveston, Texas, United States

University of Pittsburgh - Magee Womens Hospital

🇺🇸

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States

University of Alabama - Birmingham

🇺🇸

Birmingham, Alabama, United States

University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill

🇺🇸

Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States

Ohio State University

🇺🇸

Columbus, Ohio, United States

University of Utah Medical Center

🇺🇸

Salt Lake City, Utah, United States

Case Western University

🇺🇸

Cleveland, Ohio, United States

University of Texas - Houston

🇺🇸

Houston, Texas, United States

Wayne State University - Hutzel Hospital

🇺🇸

Detroit, Michigan, United States

Columbia University

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

Brown University

🇺🇸

Providence, Rhode Island, United States

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