%0 Journal Article
%T Level of agreement between midwives and obstetricians performing ultrasound examination during labor.
%A Fidalgo AM
%A Miguel R
%A Fernández-Buhigas I
%A Aguado A
%A Cuerva MJ
%A Corrales E
%A Rolle V
%A Santacruz B
%A Gil MM
%A Poon LC
%J Int J Gynaecol Obstet
%V 164
%N 1
%D 2024 Jan 4
%M 37401541
%F 4.447
%R 10.1002/ijgo.14956
%X <B>OBJECTIVE: </B>To evaluate the level of agreement between ultrasound measurements to evaluate fetal head position and progress of labor by attending midwives and obstetricians after appropriate training.<BR><B>METHODS: </B>In this prospective study, women in the first stage of labor giving birth to a single baby in cephalic presentation at our Obstetric Unit between March 2018 and December 2019 were invited to participate; 109 women agreed. Transperineal and transabdominal ultrasound was independently performed by a trained midwife and an obstetrician. Two paired measurements were available for comparisons in 107 cases for the angle of progression (AoP), in 106 cases for the head-to-perineum distance (HPD), in 97 cases for the cervical dilatation (CD), and in 79 cases for the fetal head position.<BR><B>RESULTS: </B>We found a good correlation between the AoP measured by obstetricians and midwives (intra-class correlation coefficient [ICC] = 0.85; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.80-0.89). There was a moderate correlation between the HPD (ICC = 0.75; 95% CI 0.68-0.82). There was a very good correlation between the CD measured (ICC = 0.94; 95% CI 0.91-0.96). There was a very good level of agreement in the classification of the fetal head position (Cohen's κ = 0.89; 95% CI 0.80-0.98).<BR><B>CONCLUSIONS: </B>Ultrasound assessment of fetal head position and progress of labor can effectively be performed by attending midwives without previous experience in ultrasound.