Telemedicine for home care of fetal growth restriction with mobile cardiotocography: A case series.

Objective: Modern technological advancements have made it possible to perform cardiotocography at home. Home‐based management of high‐risk pregnancies using a mobile cardiotocography system has been reported; however, its effectiveness in monitoring cases of fetal growth restriction (FGR) remains unclear. Therefore, the authors aimed to investigate the clinical usefulness of home‐based telemedicine for FGR management using the mobile cardiotocography (iCTG). Methods: The authors conducted a single‐center, retrospective case series of patients with FGR. Seventeen women diagnosed with FGR were enrolled. Patients performed iCTG for 1 hour twice daily to examine their fetuses; data were uploaded and saved on the cloud. Results: The median and minimum compliance rates were 93.33 (interquartile range [IQR], 70.00–100.00) and 40.7, respectively. The median and minimum validity rates were 100.00 (IQR, 90.48–100.00) and 36.4, respectively. In this study, many of the patients were managed at home and underwent delivery as planned. However, three patients required emergency visits; one had a nonreassuring fetal status and underwent an emergency cesarean section. Conclusion: Even when the fetal prognosis is good, careful pre‐evaluation is required before initiating home care management. The current study shows that the economic burden of hospitalization for patients can be reduced by using iCTG. Synopsis: The current study suggests that mobile cardiotocography home care and the data sent by patients are sufficient for evaluating fetal well‐being in cases of fetal growth restriction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]