Jl. Haywood et al., COMPARISON OF PERCEIVED AND ACTUAL RATES OF SURVIVAL AND FREEDOM FROMHANDICAP IN PREMATURE-INFANTS, American journal of obstetrics and gynecology, 171(2), 1994, pp. 432-439
OBJECTIVE: Our goal was to learn whether physicians delivering obstetr
ic care accurately estimated rates of survival and freedom from handic
ap in premature infants. STUDY DESIGN: We surveyed by mail 409 obstetr
icians and general and family physicians reported to perform deliverie
s in Alabama to identify their perceptions regarding survival and hand
icap-free rates of infants born at gestational ages between 23 and 36
weeks, inclusive. Responses were compared with published national rate
s of survival and freedom from handicap by means of unpaired t tests.
RESULTS: A total of 224 physicians responded (55%), and 183 were still
practicing obstetrics. They significantly underestimated survival rat
es from 23 through 34 weeks' gestation (p < 0.05) and freedom from ser
ious handicap from 23 through 36 weeks' gestation Co < 0.05). They adv
ocated early treatment of preterm labor, but < 50% would perform cesar
ean delivery for fetal distress before 26 weeks' gestation. CONCLUSION
: We conclude that physicians delivering obstetric care significantly
underestimate survival and freedom from handicap in preterm infants. P
erinatal care may be adversely affected by these misperceptions.