Fetal biophysical profile monitoring and perinatal outcome

ABSTRACT

A prospective study of 109 high risk pregnancies on whom 279 fetal biophysical profile [FBP] examinations were performed showed positive and negative predictive values of 100% and 71.4% respectively in the last FBP examination prior to delivery. The study confirmed other reports in the literature of a high correlation between normal examination and satisfactory perinatal outcome. The absence of perinatal mortality within one week of a normal FBP examination, which was also in agreement with other reported studies, reaffirms the reassuring nature of a normal examination. The high positive predictive value in our study may be due to several factors, including the use of a protocol which ensured standardization of the patient's condition prior to examination as well as repeat evaluations after non-reassuring tests. FBP evaluation is considered a simple, reliable and useful examination for the management of high risk pregnancies. Its main value would appear to be a reduction in the number of high risk pregnancy patients who would otherwise have been admitted on the basis of the clinical findings: