UNIVERSITY NEWS LAST UPDATED : 30 SEPTEMBER 2014
Leading obstetrician Professor Kypros Nicolaides has spoken out this week claiming that by offering all women Doppler scans, which measure blood flow between the placenta and baby, it could save up to 1,900 babies a year from being stillborn.
However experts from Birmingham City University have claimed that Doppler scans may not be the answer and have warned against over-complicating low risk pregnancies.
“Scans may go some way to highlighting that a baby may need extra vigilance however; it will only provide a snap shot of a pregnancy. As midwives we are advised by NICE not to even listen to a baby’s heart rate during pregnancy, as it is only an indication of how the baby is at that moment in time. We do so because mothers like to hear their baby” says Alison Edwards, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery at Birmingham City University.
“It is also important that we don’t over complicate pregnancies that are low risk. There are other methods which we can use not least the mother monitoring her baby’s movements and acting on any changes and mothers making sure they attend all of their check-ups.
“Where this scan may come in (as it often does already) is for women with an identified risk, for example, those with a history of a medical condition or a previous still birth.”
Lee Wright, Senior Lecturer in Midwifery and Women’s Health at Birmingham City University, has spoken about alternative methods that should be highlighted: “The abdominal measurement is already gaining common practice and is phenomenally successful. However some of the side effect of Doppler scans need to be addressed; such as a greater proportion of left handedness - suggesting a change in the brain which is yet to be explained. There are other reasons for a high still birth rate - such as obesity, diabetes and smoking - which also need to be addressed.”
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