Effects of Fetal Movement Counting on Maternal and Fetal Outcome Among High Risk Pregnant Woman: A Randomized Controlled Trial

The researchers met the pregnant women in antenatal clinics during their routine follow up. Woman who was eligible to be recruited in the study signed the consent after description of the study's purpose. Pregnant women in the study group received verbal information regarding normal fetal movements (i.e. description of the changing pattern of movement as the fetus develops, normal sleep/wake cycles, and factors which may modify the mother's perception of movements such as maternal weight and placental position), and its importance to be followed during the third trimester. Further, each pregnant woman in the study group was trained how to count the fetal movement (i.e.lying down on her left side after taking her meal, and concentrating on fetal movements, calculate it three times per day, half an hour/ one time and record it in the chart). As a rule, if there are less than 10 movements felt in 2 hours, women should contact her health care provider immediately (Royal college of obstetrician & gynecologists, 2011). Fetal movements counting chart was provided and women telephoned once a week in order to ensure proper recording. They also asked to present the fetal movements' chart to the researcher and thier health care providers in each antenatal follow up visit. Pregnant women in both groups; the study and the control groups followed according to thier antenatal visits schedule till delivery. Women in the control group received the antenatal hospital standard care. The maternal and neonatal outcomes had been assessed at delivery unit.