Placentally-derived factors may be used to predict poor pregnancy outcome in reduced fetal movements

Introduction 5% of women present with reduced fetal movements (RFM) in the third trimester and 20% of these will have poor pregnancy outcome defined as preterm birth Methods 305 women experiencing RFM after 28 weeks gestation were recruited. Serum samples were taken at time of presentation and were analysed using ELISA for hCG, hPL, PAPP-A and LDH. Multiplex cytokine assay was performed on serum samples from a subset of women with RFM (40 with poor outcome and 40 with normal outcome). Results In women with RFM and poor pregnancy outcome, there was a significant reduction in plasma concentrations of hCG (13041 vs 16926 IU/l; p Discussion This preliminary study suggests that placentally-derived factors may be useful markers for obstetric complications after RFM. In addition, dysregulation of such factors may provide clues to the underlying placental condition, such as inflammation or oxidative stress leading to altered hormonal or cytokine profile.