Management of patients with a live fetus and cessation of fetal movements.

Sixty-seven patients with a history of no fetal movements for at least 12 hours and a live fetus were managed according to a fixed protocol. Twelve of these patients were found to have meconium-stained amniotic fluid and/or abnormal unstressed or oxytocin-stressed cardiotocograms; all of them were delivered within 24 hours of a live infant. The remaining 55 patients had no meconium and normal unstressed and stressed cardiotocograms, and their pregnancy, was allowed to continue. All felt fetal movements again and were delivered of live babies one to ten weeks later.