Waiting for birth or inducing found equally effective for women with IUGR

ORIGINAL POST CAN BE FOUND HERE:
http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2010-02/sfmm-wfb011510.php



CHICAGO, Ill. (February 4, 2010) — In a study to be presented today at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine's (SMFM) annual meeting, The Pregnancy Meeting ™, in Chicago, researchers will unveil findings that show that waiting for birth is as effective as inducing labor in cases of intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR).


Intrauterine growth restriction means that the fetus is substantially smaller than normal. The condition affects about 10% of pregnant women.

At birth the babies are more likely to have low blood sugar, trouble maintaining their body temperature, and an abnormally high red blood cell count. They're also prone to jaundice, infections, and Cerebral Palsy. Later in life growth restricted babies may be prone to executive and behavioral disorders, obesity, heart disease, type II diabetes, and high blood pressure.

Because of lack of evidence, obstetricians follow two main policies for pregnancies with suspected fetal growth restriction at term. Some doctors may induce labor out of concern for complications, while others will await spontaneous delivery to prevent higher operative delivery rates. Researchers in the obstetric research consortium in the Netherlands conducted a randomized controlled trial of 650 women in 52 hospitals to compare both strategies.

Pregnant women with a singleton pregnancy suspected of IUGR beyond 36 weeks of gestation were randomly allocated to either induction of labor or expectant monitoring using a web-based allocation system. Median birth weight was significantly lower in the induction group; 2420 grams, vs. 2560 grams in the group that waited. Adverse neonatal outcomes occurred at similar rates in both groups (difference of 0.9 %). The results show that waiting is an equally effective strategy to inducing labor.

"We now have an evidence based reason to individualize care and to allow women to do what they are most comfortable with when deciding whether to induce labor or wait, although long term outcomes have to be awaited" said Dr. Kim Boers the study's author from Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands.

Henna Tattoo

Exercise During Pregnancy

Women who continue exercising regularly through the end of their pregnancies (three times a week for at least 20 minutes at a moderately hard to hard level of exertion) demonstrated the following reduced risks during the birth process...




* 35% decrease in the need for pain relief

* 75% decrease in the incidence of maternal exhaustion

* 50% decrease in the need to artificially rupture membranes

* 50% decrease in the need to induce or augment labor with pitocin

* 50% decrease in the need to intervene because of abnormalities in the fetal heart rate

* 55% decrease in the need for episiotomy

* 75% decrease in the need for operative intervention (forceps or cesarean section)

In addition, check these out...



* More than 65% of the exercising women delivered in less than four hours.

* 72% delivered before their due date (but fewer of them delivered before 37 weeks--preterm--than the control group). The exercising women delivered, on average, 5-7 days earlier than active women who did not exercise regularly.

* Significant reduction in the incidence of umbilical cord entanglement.

* Much lower incidence of fetus passing meconium from distress.

* Umbilical cord blood samples indicated that babies of exercising moms remained relatively stress-free with plenty of oxygen. They seemed to tolerate the stresses of labor and delivery better than the control group.

* The exercising mothers' infants were, on average, 14 oz lighter but overall growth was not compromised.

* Placentas of exercising mothers are larger, more efficient, and healthier-looking.

* Infants born to exercising mothers were more alert postpartum and needed less consolation from others.
 
LINK:
 
http://birthfaith.blogspot.com/2010/06/positive-impact-of-prenatal-exercise.html

Oedema - lymphatic drainage massage

use sorbolene or similar inexpensive moisturiser and massage upwards from the feet to the upper thighs at least once a day