• Shigeki Koshida, Tetsuo Ono, Shunichiro Tsuji, Takashi Murakami, Hisatomi Arima, and Kentaro Takahashi.
• Perinatal Center, Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan. Electronic address: koshida@belle.shiga-med.ac.jp.
• Women Birth. 2017 Dec 1; 30 (6): 468-471.

BackgroundFetal movement is the most common method to evaluate fetal well-being. Furthermore, maternal perception of decreased fetal movements is associated with perinatal demise. Previously, we showed that perception of decreased fetal movements was the most common reason for mothers visiting the outpatient department among those who had stillbirths in our region. Further investigation of stillbirths with decreased fetal movements is essential to find a possible way of preventing stillbirth.AimTo investigate maternal reaction time after their perceiving decreased fetal movements among stillbirths in our region of Japan.MethodsThis is a population-based study of stillbirths in Shiga Prefecture, Japan conducted from 2007 to 2011. We sent a questionnaire to each obstetrician who had submitted the stillbirth certificate. We reviewed and evaluated the questionnaires returned from the obstetricians.FindingsThere were 66 cases (35%) with decreased fetal movements among 188 stillbirths in Shiga during the study period. The number of maternal visits to outpatient department after perception of decreased fetal movements within 24h was only seven (11%) among 64 stillbirths diagnosed at outpatient department.ConclusionWe conclude that delayed maternal visit after perceiving decreased fetal movements is frequently observed in stillbirths. Promoting more thorough maternal education on fetal movements, including emphasizing earlier visitation after perceiving decreased fetal movements, may prevent stillbirths.Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

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