The Impact of Education on Patients’ Understanding of the Implications of Nuchal Cord for Fetal Outcomes, Mode of Delivery, and Management

Abstract

Objective: To explore whether education can change a pregnant woman’s understanding of the impact of nuchal cord on fetal outcomes, mode of delivery, and management.
Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted between August and October 2012 among all pregnant women when they attended the antenatal clinic of two regional hospitals in Hong Kong for the first time. After completion of the questionnaire, the women were given an information pamphlet about the impact of nuchal cord. A second questionnaire asking the same questions about the impact of nuchal cord was mailed to these women at 36 weeks of gestation. Answers to the first and second questionnaires were compared.
Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the proportion of women who were worried about nuchal cord between the first and second questionnaires, i.e. before or after receipt of the information pamphlet. Results of the second questionnaire revealed that there were significantly fewer women continued to wrongly believe that nuchal cord would likely cause adverse fetal outcomes, or affect the mode of delivery and management.
Conclusion: Education can correct women’s misconceptions about the impact of nuchal cord. More patient education about the impact of nuchal cord is suggested to reduce anxiety and misconceptions. This may involve organisation of specific antenatal health talks and promulgation of correct concepts through the media.