- It is well established that SGA/FGR is strongly associated with adverse outcome and long term morbidity.
- District health boards (DHBs) using GAP monitor their performance in relation to antenatal suspicion and detection of SGA, and DHB data collection has started.
- Perinatal death rates attributable to FGR have decreased in New Zealand over the time that there has been a greater awareness of fetal growth monitoring from 0.74 per 1000 births in 2007 to 0.68 per 1000 in 2016 (1).
- GAP was introduced to some DHBs from 2015 to provide a more structured approach to SGA screening and detection, while there was education on the use of GROW from 2007.
- In the UK units where data is collected detection rates vary, with the UK GAP user average detection rate of 40%, and the best units detecting up to 64% of SGA babies (pre GAP average baseline detection rate 18.5%; range 7% to 25%).
1 – Perinatal and Maternal Mortality Review Committee (2018) Twelfth annual report of the perinatal and maternal mortality review committee. Retrieved from https://www.hqsc.govt.nz/our-programmes/mrc/pmmrc/publications-and-resources/publication/3391/