American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology Publishes PeriGen Research on Shoulder Dystocia

PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- PeriGen, Inc., an innovative provider of fetal surveillance systems, today announced that the results of its program to identify women at increased risk of Shoulder Dystocia (SD) with Brachial Plexus Injury (BPI) have been published in the August issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology (AJOG). The published results show that, with the introduction of this program, overall SD rates fell by more than half with no increase in the primary cesarean rate.  

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"The results of the study show a clear path to reduction of this potentially catastrophic outcome and we are pleased that they have appeared in the leading, and most well-respected journal in the field of obstetric medicine," said Matt Sappern, Chief Executive Officer, PeriGen.

In the study, the researchers examined rates of cesarean delivery and shoulder dystocia in 8,767 deliveries performed by providers using the PeriGen program, and 11,958 deliveries performed by providers who did not use the program. In the group using the PeriGen program, shoulder dystocia rates fell by 56.8%, while the primary cesarean delivery rate remained stable. Among providers not using the program, both shoulder dystocia and cesarean delivery rates were unchanged.

Shoulder Dystocia (SD) with brachial plexus injury is a rare but serious complication of childbirth which can result in death or severe injury to the newborn. Brachial plexus injury is a potentially disabling shoulder trauma which, in some cases, can be permanent. The PeriCALM® Shoulder Screen™ is a web-based application used in the prenatal period to identify pregnant women at increased risk for experiencing this complication of labor. The tool provides physicians and their patients with objective information that they review together as they discuss delivery options.

"Shoulder Dystocia presents a challenge for clinicians because it is both rare and difficult to foresee," said Emily Hamilton, MD, PeriGen's SVP of Clinical Research, and one of the authors of the study. "Almost all mothers at term will possess at least 1 of the 10 risk factors listed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists for shoulder dystocia, and most cases of shoulder dystocia are successfully resolved without any type of injury. However, severe cases do occur, and those resulting in permanent injury can be devastating. PeriGen has developed a tool to identify a small subset of women who are at an elevated risk for persistent injury that provides an objective analysis of individual risk.  This information greatly facilitates the conversation between provider and mother in planning for the delivery."   

The PeriCALM Shoulder Screen tool uses multifactorial algorithms to provide an objective analysis of the patient's individualized risk of experiencing SD with BPI, and is already in use in hospital clinics and physician practices across the United States.

To raise awareness about this serious complication, PeriGen has launched a patient safety campaign designed to inform pregnant women about shoulder dystocia, and educate their physicians about the efficacy of the Shoulder Screen tool. Mothers who are interested in learning more about the campaign should visit www.ob-safety.com. Physicians interested in learning about PeriCALM Shoulder Screen should visit www.ob-safety.net.

About PeriGen, Inc.
PeriGen is an innovative provider of fetal surveillance systems employing patented, pattern-recognition and obstetrics technologies that empower perinatal clinicians to make confident, real-time decisions about the mothers and babies in their care. PeriGen's customer-centric team of clinicians and technologists builds the most advanced systems available to augment obstetric decision-making and improve communications among the clinical team at the point of care, while supporting data flow between healthcare IT systems.

PeriGen's unique fetal surveillance products provide dynamic visual cues that direct clinicians to the most essential patient information displayed on the screen. Unlike legacy fetal monitoring devices and software from non-specialist companies, PeriGen Visual Cueing™ provides an instant view of the mother's and baby's current status and trends over time to avoid errors, increasing patient safety and reducing risk for clinicians and hospitals. For more information, please visit us at www.PeriGen.com.

Sandra Taylor, Ph.D.
Chief Marketing Officer, PeriGen
(609) 228-8346
[email protected]

SOURCE PeriGen, Inc.