Active clinical trials for "Fetal Distress"

Background: Intrapartum non-reassuring foetal status is a global challenge. It is a key contributor to operative deliveries. In low- and middle-income countries, it is a major cause of perinatal deaths, hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy, and cerebral palsy. Through its vasodilatory action and by improving uteroplacental perfusion, intrapartum sildenafil citrate could reduce the risk of intrapartum foetal compromise. Aim: To determine the effect of intrapartum Sildenafil citrate on the prevention of non-reassuring foetal status among parturients delivering at term. Specific Objectives: 1. To determine the frequency of non reassuring foetal heart rate (FHR) pattern among parturients delivering at term following administration of intrapartum Sildenafil citrate compared with placebo 2. To determine the rate of Caesarean delivery for non-reassuring FHR following the administration of intrapartum Sildenafil citrate compared with placebo. 3. To determine the rate of instrumental delivery for non-reassuring FHR following the administration of intrapartum Sildenafil citrate compared with placebo 4. To determine the effect of Sildenafil citrate on uteroplacental blood flow compared with placebo. 5. To determine if Sildenafil citrate is associated with an improved APGAR score at 5th minute compared with placebo. Methodology: Study Design: Double blind randomised controlled trial. Women at term in early labour or undergoing scheduled induction of labour will be randomly allocated to receive 50 mg of sildenafil citrate or placebo orally once admitted in labour 6 hourly up to a maximum dose of 150 mg. Intrapartum foetal monitoring will be done by continuous cardiotocogragh, labour will be monitored with the aid of partograph following the departmental protocol for conduct of labour. Planned Handling of Results: Obtained data will be analyzed using IBM (International Business Machines Corporation) SPSS (Statistical Product and Service Solutions) version 21, taking level of significance as p-value <0.05. Categorical variables will be expressed as percentages and presented using frequency tables and charts. The chi-square test will be used to test for association between categorical variables. Continuous variables will be presented as mean or median. Differences between continuous variables will be compared with the Student t test.

Pregnant women have routine monitoring of the baby's heart rate when in labour. Women with complicated pregnancies require continuous monitoring using an electronic recorder called a CTG. The CTG produces a paper based recording which is interpreted by the midwife as showing normal, suspicious or abnormal features of the baby's heart rate. Babies quite commonly demonstrate abnormal features from time to time during the course of labour. In some cases the abnormal features are of sufficient concern to warrant delivery by emergency caesarean section. In most of these cases the baby is born in good condition and the question arises whether the caesarean section was unnecessary. In order to reduce the chance of an unnecessary caesarean section additional "second-line" tests can be offered. One such test is where a small drop of blood is taken from the baby's scalp. This test involves an internal examination with an instrument to visualise the baby's head and a small scratch to the baby's scalp. The blood is tested for acid which is an indicator of whether or not the baby is receiving enough oxygen. The test is called a fetal blood sample or FBS. An alternative test is where the doctor or midwife performs a vaginal examination with two fingers and gently rubs the baby's scalp in an attempt to cause an increase in the baby's heart rate. This is a healthy response suggesting that the baby is receiving enough oxygen. The test is called digital fetal scalp stimulation or dFSS. These two "second-line" tests have never been compared in a properly conducted head-to-head comparison. This study aims to compare dFSS and FBS in a large clinical trial completed within four of Ireland's largest maternity hospitals. This trial will generate important evidence of direct relevance to clinical care and patient outcomes.

More than 80% of the 3 million women who labor and deliver each year in the United States undergo continuous electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) during labor in order to fetal hypoxia and prevent the transition to acidemia, expedited operative delivery, and/or neonatal morbidity. Category II EFM is the most commonly observed group of fetal heart rate features in labor. One common response to Category II EFM is maternal oxygen (O2) supplementation. The theoretic rationale for O2 administration is that it increases O2 transfer to a hypoxic fetus. There are conflicting national guidelines regarding O2 administration - the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggest O2 is ineffective, whereas the Association of Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses recommend continued use given lack of definitive data on safety and efficacy. A recent national survey of nearly 600 Labor & Delivery providers in February 2022 revealed that 49% still use O2 . Thus, there remains equipoise on the topic and high-quality data on the safety of intrapartum O2 is needed. None of the trials to date have studied the effect of intrapartum O2 on important clinical measures of neonatal or maternal morbidity. This safety data is imperative because the field of obstetrics must hold supplemental O2 to the same rigorous standards applied to any drug used in pregnancy. Without data on these definitive outcomes, it will be challenging to implement evidence-based recommendations for supplemental O2 use on Labor & Delivery. The investigators will conduct a large, multicenter, randomized noninferiority trial of O2 supplementation versus room air in patients with Category II EFM in labor.

The PRISM pilot feasibility study consists of two phases to determine: 1) to delivery practices, rates of primary and secondary outcomes, and feasibility of enrollment rates, and 2) to assess the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention and expected enrollment rates, and estimate the effect size of sildenafil citrate on maternal and neonatal outcomes in a low resource settings in preparation for the main RCT.

In this research project the investigators want to figure out whether ultrasound (a non-invasive method) can be used to assess how the fetus is doing during labor.

The Raydiant Oximetry Sensing System (Lumerah) is a non-invasive fetal pulse oximeter that measures fetal arterial oxygen saturation using safe, non-invasive, transabdominal near-infrared spectroscopy. Lumerah is intended as an adjunct to cardiotocography by detecting decreases in fetal oxygenation.

The trial was to determine the effect of administrating subcutaneous terbutaline prior to emergency caesarean delivery for suspected fetal distress

To compare nitroglycerin and terbutaline for intrapartum fetal heart rate resuscitation

This study will be conducted on women in labor. Fetal heart rate monitoring will be conducting using the Novii Fetal ECG/EMG system and comparing it to current standard of care external fetal heart rate and tocometry. These approaches will be compared with the respect to need for additional monitoring, amount of nursing intervention, cost and satisfaction of patients and healthcare providers.

Supplementary oxygen is routinely administered to patients, even those with adequate oxygen saturations, in the belief that it increases oxygen delivery. However, oxygen delivery depends not just on arterial oxygen content but also on perfusion. Maternal oxygen administration has been used in an attempt to lessen fetal distress by increasing the available oxygen from the mother. However, the effect of supplemental maternal oxygen therapy on fetal acid base status has been debated for more than seven decades. The investigators found the use of 2 L/min maternal oxygen during the second stage of labor did not adversely affect either the umbilical artery pH value or the fetal heart rate (FHR) pattern distribution.