Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37553853›Full record

SynthesisActa obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica2023

Does fetal size affect maternal perception of fetal movements? Evidence from an individual participant data meta-analysis.

John M D Thompson, Alexander E P Heazell, Robin S Cronin, Jessica Wilson, Minglan Li, Adrienne Gordon, Lisa M Askie, Louise M O'Brien, Camille Raynes-Greenow, Tomasina Stacey and 3 more

Open access · diamondAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.9field-weighted citation impact, top 9% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Risk Factors for Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes in Reduced Fetal Movement: An IPD Meta-Analysis.BJOG : an international journal of obstetrics and gynaecology · 2025
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors at 6 institutions in 5 countries.

John M D ThompsonDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0001-6944-381X
Alexander E P HeazellHealth Research Center, School of Medical Sciences, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-4303-7845
Robin S CroninDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.ORCID 0000-0002-8304-8004
Jessica WilsonDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Minglan LiDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Adrienne GordonDiscipline of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Neonatology, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Lisa M AskieWorld Health Organization, Geneva, Switzerland.
Louise M O'BrienDepartment of Neurology Sleep Disorders Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.
Camille Raynes-GreenowSydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Tomasina StaceyFlorence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing, Midwifery & Palliative Care, King's College London, London, UK.
Edwin A MitchellDepartment of Pediatrics: Child and Youth Health, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Lesley M E McCowanDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
Billie F BradfordDepartment of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand.
University of Auckland · NZThe University of Sydney · AUKing's College London · GBManchester Academic Health Science Centre · GBUniversity of Michigan · USWorld Health Organization · CH

Funding

World Health Organization 001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionMaternal perception of fetal movements during pregnancy are reassuring; however, the perception of a reduction in movements are concerning to women and known to be associated with increased odds of late stillbirth. Prior to full term, little evidence exists to provide guidelines on how to proceed unless there is an immediate risk to the fetus. Increased strength of movement is the most commonly reported perception of women through to full term, but perception of movement is also hypothesized to be influenced by fetal size. The study aimed to assess the pattern of maternal perception of strength and frequency of fetal movement by gestation and customized birthweight quartile in ongoing pregnancies. A further aim was to assess the association of stillbirth to perception of fetal movements stratified by customized birthweight quartile. MATERIAL AND

methodsThis analysis was an individual participant data meta-analyses of five case-control studies investigating factors associated with stillbirth. The dataset included 851 cases of women with late stillbirth (>28 weeks' gestation) and 2257 women with ongoing pregnancies who then had a liveborn infant.

resultsThe frequency of prioritized fetal movement from 28 weeks' gestation showed a similar pattern for each quartile of birthweight with increased strength being the predominant perception of fetal movement through to full term. The odds of stillbirth associated with reduced fetal movements was increased in all quartiles of customized birthweight centiles but was notably greater in babies in the lowest two quartiles (Q1: adjusted OR: 9.34, 95% CI: 5.43, 16.06 and Q2: adjusted OR: 6.11, 95% CI: 3.11, 11.99). The decreased odds associated with increased strength of movement was present for all customized birthweight quartiles (adjusted OR range: 0.25-0.56).

conclusionsIncreased strength of fetal movements in late pregnancy is a positive finding irrespective of fetal size. However, reduced fetal movements are associated with stillbirth, and more so when the fetus is small.

Indexed as

Fetal MovementStillbirthBirth WeightFemaleHumansPerceptionPregnancyPregnancy Trimester, Thirdfetal medicinematernal-fetal medicine epidemiologymaternity carepregnancystillbirth

Identifiers

PMID37553853
PMCPMC10577624
OpenAlexW4385684741

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.