Fetal movement counts in pregnancy: a comparison of the Cardiff and Sadovsky methods

The purpose of this study was to compare the Cardiff and Sadovsky methods of daily fetal movement counts for maternal compliance, perception of difficulty, and reactions. Maternal-fetal attachment was also evaluated in relationship to compliance. The pretest-posttest control group design was chosen for this study. Eighty women between 35 and 39 weeks gestation were randomly assigned to one of the two methods to count fetal movement. Fifty-six women completed the counts for 1 week. There were no statistically significant differences in compliance, perceived difficulty or reactions between the groups of women who used the Cardiff and Sadovsky methods. Maternal-fetal attachment was not correlated with completion of the movement counts. Some of the women did feel that counting fetal movements made them feel anxious about their baby. Implications from this study include maternal compliance and reaction issues. Further research is needed on fetal movement counts to evaluate their use as an antenatal screening tool.