Abstract
Background: Stillbirth accounts for over 2 million deaths a year worldwide and rates remains stubbornly high. Multivariable prediction models may be key to individualised monitoring, intervention or early birth in pregnancy to prevent stillbirth.
Objectives: To collate and evaluate systematic reviews of factors associated with stillbirth in order to identify variables relevant to prediction model development.
Search strategy: MEDLINE, Embase, DARE and Cochrane Library databases and reference lists were searched up to November 2019.
Selection criteria: We included systematic reviews of association of individual variables with stillbirth without language restriction.
Data collection and analysis: Abstract screening and data extraction were conducted in duplicate. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR and QUIPS criteria. The evidence supporting association with each variable was graded.
Results: The search identified 1198 citations. Sixty-nine systematic reviews reporting 64 variables were included. The most frequently reported were maternal age (n = 5), body mass index (n = 6) and maternal diabetes (n = 5). Uterine artery Doppler appeared to have the best performance of any single test for stillbirth. The strongest evidence of association was for nulliparity and pre-existing hypertension.
Conclusion: We have identified variables relevant to the development of prediction models for stillbirth. Age, parity and prior adverse pregnancy outcomes had a more convincing association than the best performing tests, which were PAPP-A, PlGF and UtAD. The evidence was limited by high heterogeneity and lack of data on intervention bias.
Tweetable abstract: Review shows key predictors for use in developing models predicting stillbirth include age, prior pregnancy outcome and PAPP-A, PLGF and Uterine artery Doppler.
Objectives: To collate and evaluate systematic reviews of factors associated with stillbirth in order to identify variables relevant to prediction model development.
Search strategy: MEDLINE, Embase, DARE and Cochrane Library databases and reference lists were searched up to November 2019.
Selection criteria: We included systematic reviews of association of individual variables with stillbirth without language restriction.
Data collection and analysis: Abstract screening and data extraction were conducted in duplicate. Methodological quality was assessed using AMSTAR and QUIPS criteria. The evidence supporting association with each variable was graded.
Results: The search identified 1198 citations. Sixty-nine systematic reviews reporting 64 variables were included. The most frequently reported were maternal age (n = 5), body mass index (n = 6) and maternal diabetes (n = 5). Uterine artery Doppler appeared to have the best performance of any single test for stillbirth. The strongest evidence of association was for nulliparity and pre-existing hypertension.
Conclusion: We have identified variables relevant to the development of prediction models for stillbirth. Age, parity and prior adverse pregnancy outcomes had a more convincing association than the best performing tests, which were PAPP-A, PlGF and UtAD. The evidence was limited by high heterogeneity and lack of data on intervention bias.
Tweetable abstract: Review shows key predictors for use in developing models predicting stillbirth include age, prior pregnancy outcome and PAPP-A, PLGF and Uterine artery Doppler.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 238-250 |
Number of pages | 13 |
Journal | BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology |
Volume | 128 |
Issue number | 2 |
Early online date | 15 Sept 2020 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2021 |
Keywords
- Epidemiology: perinatal
- fetal medicine: perinatal diagnosis
- fetal medicine: serum screening
- systematic reviews
- ultrasound