INFANT

A study to compare the effect of a computer based 'intelligent' system to support decision making in the management of labour

Funded by the National Institute of Health Research Health Technology Assessment, the INFANT STUDY is a multi-centre randomised controlled study to compare the effect of a computer based 'intelligent' system to support decision making in the management of labour using the cardiotocogram (CTG) by clinicians (midwives and doctors) versus review by clinicians (midwives and doctors) with no computer based decision support in women who require continuous CTG monitoring of their labour.

The primary outcome for the study is mortality and significant morbidity (neonatal encephalopathy and any admissions to intensive care within 48 hours of birth for ≥ 48 hours).Secondary outcomes include length of labour, length of hospital stays for mothers and their babies, and health service utilisation. The study will recruit 46,000 women from approximately 20 centres in the UK and Ireland over 3½ years. For more information please see the INFANT website.

Publications

• The INFANT Collaborative Group. Computerised interpretation of fetal heart rate during labour (INFANT): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet 2017; published online March 21. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(17)30568-8.
• Results

ISRCTN98680152