Maternal perception of sound‐provoked fetal movements as a measure of fetal well‐being

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Abstract
Maternal perception of sound-provoked fetal movements was studied on 613 occasions in 259 risk pregnancies. The response was compared with a non-stress (N-S) test performed immediately after the sound stimulation. A positive response to sound stimulation, recorded as a fetal movement by the mother, occurred on 534 occasions (87%) and was always accompanied by a normal N-S test; sensitivity 100%. An inconclusive (3%) or negative response to sound (10%) had a specificity of 89% and a predictive value for a pathological N-S test of 19%. There was a positive correlation between inconclusive or negative test results and fetal growth retardation (P<0.01), fetal hypoxia (P<0.05) and neonatal mortality (P<0.05). This rapid test may have a place as a simple first-line screening test.

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