Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #109518

Jayfus Doswell, MS, PhD, Information Technology, George Mason University, 100 Century Drive, Suite 7107, Alexandria, VA 22304, 703-989-1199, Juxtopia@hotmail.com and Edward Hill, MD, JD, Forensic Perinatal Group, Two Fountain Square – PMB 5501, 11921 Freedom Drive, Suite 550, Reston, VA 20190.

Pregnancy is especially critical during the labor and delivery phase where intrapartum events are currently estimated to account for 20% of stillbirths, 20% to 40% of cerebral palsy, and 10% of severe mental retardation. Adverse intrapartum events are a continuous source of potentially preventable fetal/infant death and neurological (i.e,brain) damage, world-wide. Furthermore, obstetricians and maternal child nurses have various methods of interpreting electronic fetal monitor (EFM) devices, which can lead to misinterpretation and thus missed adverse intrapartum events. Emerging technologies are responding to research needs to improve fetal health outcomes and decrease human decision making variability. Information technology and biomedical technology are revolutionizing the way at-risk pregnancies are diagnosed, researched, evaluated, and consequently, fetal adverse events, prevented. This presentation will review US and International research literature on electronic fetal monitoring decision making and its influence on fetal mortality/morbidity. Additionally, this presentation will demonstrate a novel technology method to improve fetal outcomes and prevent adverse fetal health conditions based on empirical decision making evidence. Moreover, the novel method, presented, will show how obstetric research/practice and public health research may benefit.

This presentation is technology dependent on the Internet and on underlying database systems. Therefore presenters would like to present in the Film and Technology Theater.

Learning Objectives:

At the conclusion of this session, participants will be able (
• review research literature on national and international rates of fetal mortality/morbidity; (
• identify those critical dimensions preventing effective decision making of electronic fetal monitoring, and (
• become aware of more evidence based tools for preventing adverse fetal outcomes.

Keywords: Surveillance, Fetal Mortality

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.

Recorded presentation