Fetal Health Assessment by Nonstress Test and its relationship with Neonatal Hospitalization at Birth

The nonstress test (NST) is the most common method of assessing fetal health. According to the different results of this test in previous studies, this study aimed to determine fetal health using NST, and its relationship with neonatal hospitalization at birth.

This descriptive-analytical study was performed on 350 low-risk pregnant women at weeks 38-42, referred to Allameh Bohloul Gonabadi and Bent Al-Hoda hospitals in Boujnourd City, Iran, in year 2019. The understudy mothers were evaluated with NST, and 175 reactive and 175 non-reactive tests were selected by the available sampling method. Accordingly, neonatal hospitalization status of 350 mothers was recorded. Study data were collected by checklist, and the presence of researchers during labor stages.

The rate of fetal hospitalization at birth was 42.1% and 52.9% for mothers with reactive and non-reactive NST results, respectively, which had no significant relationship (P = 0.495). Furthermore, there was no significant relationship between different parameters in the NST items (number of acceleration, number of deceleration, type of deceleration, baseline, and variability of the baseline) with infant hospitalization at birth.

Predicting neonatal hospitalization status at birth only based on the NST results is not reliable, and medical interventions during the mother’s hospital stay require further assessments.