A nurse sees a woman for the first time when she is 30 weeks pregnant. The woman has smoked throughout the pregnancy, and now fundal height measurements are suggestive of growth restriction in the fetus

Question

In addition to ultrasound to measure fetal size, what would be another tool useful in confirming the diagnosis? 1. Doppler blood flow analysis
2. Contraction stress test
3. Amniocentesis
4. Daily fetal movement counts

Answer 1

1
1. Correct. Doppler blood flow analysis allows the examiner to study the blood flow non-invasively in the fetus and the placenta. It is a helpful tool in the management of high risk pregnancies because of IUGR, diabetes mellitus, multiple fetuses, or preterm labor.
2. Incorrect. Because of the potential risk of inducing labor and causing fetal distress, a CST is not performed on a woman whose fetus is preterm.
3. Incorrect. Indications for an amniocentesis include diagnosis of genetic disorders or con-genital anomalies, assessment of pulmonary maturity, and the diagnosis of fetal hemolytic disease, not IUGR.
4. Incorrect. Fetal "kick count" monitoring is performed to monitor the fetus in pregnancies complicated by conditions that may affect fetal oxygenation. Although this may be a useful tool at some point later in this woman's pregnancy, it is not used to diagnose IUGR.