Document Detail


Obstetrician-gynecologists' practices regarding preterm birth at the limit of viability.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  18240080     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVES: To assess obstetrician-gynecologists' judgments of gestational age of viability and earliest age of medical intervention for preterm delivery, and to associate these practice decisions with physician characteristics. METHODS: Questionnaires were mailed to 1193 members of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). RESULTS: The response rate was 59%. The majority of respondents considered 24 weeks the earliest age a fetus is potentially viable (57%) and at which they would routinely perform cesarean section for fetal distress (58%). Those respondents who judged viability as 23 weeks or less were more likely to have been in practice for a shorter period (p < 0.05), be a maternal-fetal medicine specialist (p < 0.005), and be from southern or central states (p < 0.005). Similarly, those respondents who would not intervene for fetal distress until 26 weeks gestation were more likely to have been in practice for longer (p < 0.01), to have performed fewer deliveries (p < 0.05), to be in solo practice (p < 0.01), and not to be a maternal-fetal medicine specialist (p < 0.01); males and females did not differ when controlling for age (p = 0.552). CONCLUSION: Obstetrician-gynecologists' judgment of viability threshold is consistent with standard estimates of 24 weeks. Viability judgment and reported earliest age for routine intervention both differ by physician characteristics.
Authors:
Maria A Morgan; Robert L Goldenberg; Jay Schulkin
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article; Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.    
Journal Detail:
Title:  The journal of maternal-fetal & neonatal medicine : the official journal of the European Association of Perinatal Medicine, the Federation of Asia and Oceania Perinatal Societies, the International Society of Perinatal Obstetricians     Volume:  21     ISSN:  1476-7058     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Matern. Fetal. Neonatal. Med.     Publication Date:  2008 Feb 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2008-02-01     Completed Date:  2008-04-24     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  101136916     Medline TA:  J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  115-21     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Washington, DC 20024, USA. mmorgan@acog.org
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MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Cesarean Section
Female
Fetal Distress / surgery
Fetal Viability*
Gestational Age*
Gynecology*
Humans
Obstetrics*
Physician's Practice Patterns*
Pregnancy
Premature Birth*
Questionnaires
Grant Support
ID/Acronym/Agency:
R60 MC 05674//PHS HHS

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


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