Role of NST in the Management of High Risk Pregnancies in Term Gestation - A Comparitve Study

Abstract

Introduction: In developing countries, maternal morbidity has been signicantly decreased so now modern obstetricians are focusing more on fetal health. Initially fetus was considered only as an outcome of pregnancy but nowa-days the fetus is considered as the second person. So it also requires as much surveillance as the health of mother. In modern obstetrics methods for fetal risk determination have shifted from less specic biochemical methods (e.g. maternal estriol determination) to more specic fetal biophysical methods. Non stress test is one of the biophysical techniques, which is widely used in the management of high risk pregnancies. With the acceptance of 'small family norm', it has become necessary that every wanted conception should successfully end in birth of a viable healthy baby. The non-stress test can identify the fetus in jeopardy in utero. This clini Methodology: cal study was conducted at KVG Medical College and Hospital, in the department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology over a period of 1year from February 2021- February 2022. The study included 50 High Risk pregnant women in study group (selected based on inclusion and exclusion criteria) and 50 Low Risk pregnant women as control group who were enrolled and evaluated by NST from 37- 41 weeks of gestation. NST resul Results: ts shows that in low risk group 76% were reactive and 24% was non-reactive. In high risk group it was 66% in Reactive and 34% non-reactive. Most (74%) of the subjects delivered normally in low risk group whereas in high risk group 50 % delivered normally and 50% underwent LSCS. In low risk group, 18.4% cases of reactive NST underwent LSCS and 50% of cases with non-reactive NST underwent LSCS. The mean NICU admission in reactive of low risk is 2.579 and that of non-reactive is 3.25. But in High risk group the NICU admission days in reactive group is 4.67 and that of non-reactive is 5.882. Conclusion: The antenatal surveillance of high risk pregnancies with NST can effectively screen for identication of high risk fetuses and segregate the population that is at risk for perinatal mortality and morbidity