Affiliations:
1 Dept of Midwifery, Auckland University of
Technology, Auckland, New Zealand
2 Perinatal Institute, Birmingham, UK.
3 Liggins Institute, Faculty of Medical and Health
Sciences, University of Auckland,
Auckland, New Zealand,
4 Kidz First Neonatal Care, Counties Manukau Health,
Auckland, New Zealand
5 Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Faculty of
Medical and Health Sciences, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New
Zealand
6 Dept of Paediatrics: Child and Youth Health, Faculty
of Medical and Health Sciences, Auckland, New Zealand
7 Dept of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Auckland
University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
8 Health Intelligence and Informatics, Counties
Manukau Health, Auckland, New Zealand
9 South Auckland Clinical School, Level 3, Esme Green
Building, Middlemore Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand.
Corresponding Author:
Professor Lesley ME McCowan
Email:
l.mccowan@auckland.ac.nz
Correspondence: Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, FMHS, The University
of
Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
Running Title: Evaluation of growth assessment protocol (GAP)
– New Zealand
Abstract:
Objective: To assess the impact of implementation of GAP
in a multi-ethnic population with high obesity and high deprivation.
Design/Methods: Retrospective before (2012) and after
(2017) study (pre-and post-GAP). Outcomes were compared between epochs
with adjustment for New Zealand Deprivation Index, maternal body mass
index, ethnicity, cigarette smoking and age.
Setting: Counties Manukau tertiary maternity facility,
Auckland, New
Zealand
Population: Singleton, non-anomalous pregnancies, booked
with a hospital midwife by 20 weeks’ gestation, with birth after 24
weeks’
gestation.
Main Outcome Measures: Antenatal
detection of SGA babies (<10th customised
centile), labour induction, caesarean section and composite adverse
neonatal outcome (neonatal unit admission >48 hrs, 5-minute
Apgar Score <7, any ventilation).
Results: Antenatal detection of SGA increased after
introduction of GAP
from
22.9% to 57.9% (aOR=4.81, 95% CI 2.82, 8.18) with similar SGA rates
across epochs (13.8% vs 12.9%; p=0.68). Induction of labour and
caesarean birth increased between epochs, but this increase was similar
in SGA and non-SGA. Amongst SGA, increased antenatal identification
post-GAP appeared to be associated with lower composite adverse neonatal
outcome (identified SGA: pre-GAP 32.4% vs post-GAP 17.5%, aOR=0.44,
95% CI 0.17, 1.15; non-identified SGA: pre-GAP 12.3% vs post-GAP
19.3%, aOR=1.81, 95% CI 0.73, 4.48; interaction p=0.03).
Conclusions: GAP was associated with an almost 5-fold
increased likelihood for SGA detection, without significant increase in
maternal intervention and some evidence of a reduction in composite
adverse neonatal outcome in identified SGA pregnancies. GAP is a safe,
effective tool for SGA detection in an ethnically diverse population
with high obesity levels.
Tweetable Abstract: GAP is a safe and effective tool for
increasing detection of SGA in an ethnically diverse population with
high levels of obesity.
Key words: Small for gestational age, SGA, caesarean
section, growth assessment
protocol (GAP), induction of labour, composite adverse
neonatal
outcome