In this cohort study, we evaluated 100 high-risk pregnancies consecutively with STAN S31 (Neoventa Medical, Gotenburg, Sweden) and 160 low-risk pregnancies consecutively with continuous CTG. High-risk pregnancies included pregnancy complications, like as gestational diabetes (26%), premature rupture of membranes since more 24 h or associated with vaginal carriage of GBS (31%), prolonged pregnancy (15%) and minor conditions (28%), such as: oligohydramnion, polihydramnion, gestational hypertension, gravidic cholestasis, fibromiomatosis, intrauterine fetal growth restriction, labor trial after cesarean section and single umbilical artery in fetus, together resulting in undergone labor induction (59%). increasing the occurrence of severe fetal metabolic acidosis.
Considering that high-risk pregnancies are burdened by a higher fetal hypoxic risk during labor, our interesting findings show that STAN monitoring is able to lower this risk, making the neonatal outcome comparable to that of low-risk pregnancies. In addition, STAN seems to be more effective in recognizing fetal hypoxia as it reduces the cesarean section rate for fetal distress, ensuring, at the same time, that the vaginal operativity rate for fetal distress is equal to that of
women monitored with CTG alone. As for the maternal outcome, our analysis demonstrated that women of the STAN group had significantly higher rates of operative vaginal delivery.