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Objective: In the TRUFFLE (Trial of Randomized Umbilical and Fetal Flow in Europe) study on the outcome of early fetal growth restriction, women were allocated to one of three groups of indication for delivery according to the following monitoring strategies: (1) reduced fetal heart rate (FHR) short-term variation (STV) on cardiotocography (CTG); (2) early changes in fetal ductus venosus (DV) waveform (DV-p95); and (3) late changes in fetal DV waveform (DV-no-A). However, many infants per monitoring protocol were delivered because of safety-net criteria, for maternal or other fetal indications, or after 32 weeks of gestation when the protocol was no longer applied. The objective of the present posthoc subanalysis was to investigate the indications for delivery in relation to 2-year outcome in infants delivered before 32 weeks to further refine management proposals. Methods: We included all 310 cases of the TRUFFLE study with known outcome at 2 years' corrected age and seven fetal deaths, excluding seven cases with inevitable perinatal death. Data were analyzed according to the allocated fetal monitoring strategy in combination with the indication for delivery. Results: Overall, only 32% of liveborn infants were delivered according to the specified monitoring parameter for indication for delivery; 38% were delivered because of safety-net criteria, 15% for other fetal reasons and 15% for maternal reasons. In the CTG-STV group, 51% of infants were delivered because of reduced STV. In the DV-p95 group, 34% of infants were delivered because of abnormal DV and, in the DV-no-A group, only 10% of infants were delivered accordingly. The majority of infants in the DV groups were delivered for the safety-net criterion of spontaneous decelerations in FHR. Two-year intact survival was highest in the DV groups combined compared with the CTG-STV group (P = 0.05 for live births only, P = 0.21 including fetal death), with no difference between DV groups. A poorer outcome in the CTG-STV group was restricted to infants delivered because of FHR decelerations in the safety-net subgroup. Infants delivered because of maternal reasons had the highest birth weight and a non-significantly higher intact survival. Conclusions: In this subanalysis of infants delivered before 32 weeks, the majority were delivered for reasons other than the allocated monitoring strategy indication. Since, in the DV group, CTG-STV criteria were used as a safety net but in the CTG-STV group, no DV safety-net criteria were applied, we speculate that the slightly poorer outcome in the CTG-STV group might be explained by the absence of DV data. The optimal timing of delivery of fetuses with early intrauterine growth restriction may therefore be best determined by monitoring them longitudinally, with both DV and CTG monitoring.

Objectives: To explore whether, in early fetal growth restriction (FGR), the longitudinal pattern of fetal heart rate (FHR) short-term variation (STV) can be used to identify imminent fetal distress and whether abnormalities of FHR recordings are associated with 2-year infant outcome. Methods: The original TRUFFLE study assessed whether, in early FGR, delivery based on ductus venosus (DV) Doppler pulsatility index (PI), in combination with safety-net criteria of very low STV on cardiotocography (CTG) and/or recurrent FHR decelerations, could improve 2-year infant survival without neurological impairment in comparison with delivery based on CTG monitoring only. This was a secondary analysis of women who delivered before 32 weeks and had consecutive STV data recorded > 3 days before delivery and known infant outcome at 2 years of age. Women who received corticosteroids within 3 days of delivery were excluded. Individual regression line algorithms of all STV values, except the last one before delivery, were calculated. Life tables and Cox regression analysis were used to calculate the daily risk for low STV or very low STV and/or FHR decelerations (below DV group safety-net criteria) and to assess which parameters were associated with this risk. Furthermore, it was assessed whether STV pattern, last STV value or recurrent FHR decelerations were associated with 2-year infant outcome. Results: One hundred and forty-nine women from the original TRUFFLE study met the inclusion criteria. Using the individual STV regression lines, prediction of a last STV below the cut-off used by the CTG monitoring group had sensitivity of 42% and specificity of 91%. For each day after study inclusion, the median risk for low STV (CTG group cut-off) was 4% (interquartile range (IQR), 2–7%) and for very low STV and/or recurrent FHR decelerations (below DV group safety-net criteria) was 5% (IQR, 4–7%). Measures of STV pattern, fetal Doppler (arterial or venous), birth-weight multiples of the median and gestational age did not usefully improve daily risk prediction. There was no association of STV regression coefficients, a low last STV and/or recurrent FHR decelerations with short- or long-term infant outcomes. Conclusion: The TRUFFLE study showed that a strategy of DV monitoring with safety-net criteria of very low STV and/or recurrent FHR decelerations for delivery indication could increase 2-year infant survival without neurological impairment. This post-hoc analysis demonstrates that, in early FGR, the daily risk of abnormal CTG, as defined by the DV group safety-net criteria, is 5%, and that prediction is not possible. This supports the rationale for CTG monitoring more often than daily in these high-risk fetuses. Low STV and/or recurrent FHR decelerations were not associated with adverse infant outcome and it appears safe to delay intervention until such abnormalities occur, as long as DV-PI is within normal range.

Objectives: In the recent TRUFFLE study, it appeared that, in pregnancies complicated by fetal growth restriction (FGR) between 26 and 32 weeks' gestation, monitoring of the fetal ductus venosus (DV) waveform combined with computed cardiotocography (CTG) to determine timing of delivery increased the chance of infant survival without neurological impairment. However, concerns with the interpretation were raised, as DV monitoring appeared to be associated with a non-significant increase in fetal death, and some infants were delivered after 32 weeks, at which time the study protocol no longer applied. This secondary sensitivity analysis of the TRUFFLE study focuses on women who delivered before 32 completed weeks' gestation and analyzes in detail the cases of fetal death. Methods: Monitoring data of 317 pregnancies with FGR that delivered before 32 weeks were analyzed, excluding those with absent outcome data or inevitable perinatal death. Women were allocated randomly to one of three groups of indication for delivery according to the following monitoring strategies: (1) reduced fetal heart rate short-term variation (STV) on CTG; (2) early changes in fetal DV waveform; and (3) late changes in fetal DV waveform. Primary outcome was 2-year survival without neurological impairment. The association of the last monitoring data before delivery and infant outcome was assessed by multivariable analysis. Results: Two-year survival without neurological impairment occurred more often in the two DV groups (both 83%) than in the CTG-STV group (77%), however, the difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.21). Among the surviving infants in the DV groups, 93% were free of neurological impairment vs 85% of surviving infants in the CTG-STV group (P = 0.049). All fetal deaths (n = 7) occurred in the groups with DV monitoring. Of the monitoring parameters obtained shortly before fetal death in these seven cases, an abnormal CTG was observed in only one case. Multivariable regression analysis of factors at study entry demonstrated that a later gestational age, higher estimated fetal weight-to-50th percentile ratio and lower umbilical artery pulsatility index (PI)/fetal middle cerebral artery-PI ratio were significantly associated with normal outcome. Allocation to DV monitoring had a smaller effect on outcome, but remained in the model (P < 0.1). Abnormal fetal arterial Doppler before delivery was significantly associated with adverse outcome in the CTG-STV group. In contrast, abnormal DV flow was the only monitoring parameter associated with adverse outcome in the DV groups, while fetal arterial Doppler, STV below the cut-off used in the CTG-STV group and recurrent decelerations in fetal heart rate were not. Conclusions: In accordance with the findings of the TRUFFLE study on monitoring and intervention management of very preterm FGR, we found that the proportion of infants surviving without neuroimpairment was not significantly different when the decision for delivery was based on changes in DV waveform vs reduced STV on CTG. The uneven distribution of fetal deaths towards the DV groups was probably a chance effect, and neurological outcome was better among surviving children in these groups. Before 32 weeks, delaying delivery until abnormalities in DV-PI or STV and/or recurrent decelerations in fetal heat rate occur, as defined by the study protocol, is likely to be safe and possibly benefits long-term outcome.

No consensus exists for the best way to monitor and when to trigger delivery in mothers of babies with fetal growth restriction. We aimed to assess whether changes in the fetal ductus venosus Doppler waveform (DV) could be used as indications for delivery instead of cardiotocography short-term variation (STV). In this prospective, European multicentre, unblinded, randomised study, we included women with singleton fetuses at 26-32 weeks of gestation who had very preterm fetal growth restriction (ie, low abdominal circumference [ 95th percentile]). We randomly allocated women 1:1:1, with randomly sized blocks and stratified by participating centre and gestational age ( 95th percentile; DV p95), or late DV changes (A wave [the deflection within the venous waveform signifying atrial contraction] at or below baseline; DV no A). The primary outcome was survival without cerebral palsy or neurosensory impairment, or a Bayley III developmental score of less than 85, at 2 years of age. We assessed outcomes in surviving infants with known outcomes at 2 years. We did an intention to treat study for all participants for whom we had data. Safety outcomes were deaths in utero and neonatal deaths and were assessed in all randomly allocated women. This study is registered with ISRCTN, number 56204499. Between Jan 1, 2005 and Oct 1, 2010, 503 of 542 eligible women were randomly allocated to monitoring groups (166 to CTG STV, 167 to DV p95, and 170 to DV no A). The median gestational age at delivery was 30·7 weeks (IQR 29·1-32·1) and mean birthweight was 1019 g (SD 322). The proportion of infants surviving without neuroimpairment did not differ between the CTG STV (111 [77%] of 144 infants with known outcome), DV p95 (119 [84%] of 142), and DV no A (133 [85%] of 157) groups (ptrend=0·09). 12 fetuses (2%) died in utero and 27 (6%) neonatal deaths occurred. Of survivors, more infants where women were randomly assigned to delivery according to late ductus changes (133 [95%] of 140, 95%, 95% CI 90-98) were free of neuroimpairment when compared with those randomly assigned to CTG (111 [85%] of 131, 95% CI 78-90; p=0.005), but this was accompanied by a non-significant increase in perinatal and infant mortality. Although the difference in the proportion of infants surviving without neuroimpairment was non-significant at the primary endpoint, timing of delivery based on the study protocol using late changes in the DV waveform might produce an improvement in developmental outcomes at 2 years of age. ZonMw, The Netherlands and Dr Hans Ludwig Geisenhofer Foundation, Germany