Authors:
Liat Mor, MD, Eran Weiner, MD, Yael Ganor-Paz, MD Lilya Tamayev, MD, Or Marom, MD, Daniel Tairy, MD Michal Levy, MD
Aim:
In this study we aimed to assess the rate of maternal anxiety and antenatal attachment in women with a history of previous pregnancy loss by
complementing routine prenatal care with twice a-week telemedicine visits using homeultrasound.
Methods:
A randomized controlled trial comparing women with history of previous pregnancy loss greater than 20 weeks randomized to the control group which received routine prenatal high-risk care vs. the study group which received additionaltwice-a-week home-ultrasound scan using a Pulsenmore device guided via telemedicine by a physician. Maternal anxiety and attachment were evaluated by validated questionnaires (STAI and MAAS-2 respectively) at 3 time periods during pregnancy.
The primary outcome was the STAI-S score at the last prenatal visit.
Results:
Thirty-two patients completed follow-up, 16 in each group. The study group had lower anxiety levels at the last prenatal visit (STAI 42.2±4.7 vs. 49.6±5.8,
p<0.001), a greater difference between STAI scores at the first and last visit (-9.9± 2.7 vs. -7.1±3.1, p=0.011), and higher MAAS-2 scores (50.4±3.9 vs.
47.2±4.5, p=0.039) at their last visit. There were no differences in demographics or pregnancy outcomes.
Conclusion:
Routine home-ultrasound telemedicine visits can decrease maternal anxiety and improve maternal attachment in women with previous pregnancy loss.
