Accuracy of maternal perception of preterm uterine activity

OBJECTIVE: Our purpose was to compare the accuracy of maternal perception of preterm uterine activity by self-palpation versus home uterine activity monitoring. STUDY DESIGN: A total of 72,962 uterine activity records of 778 women receiving home uterine activity monitoring services were analyzed. Simultaneously with home uterine activity monitoring, the women indicated by an electronic marker when they felt a ''contraction'' through self-palpation. The perceptions of the women were compared to the tocodynamometrically measured uterine activity. RESULTS: Using self-palpation, women correctly identified 17.2% of contractions recorded by tocodynamometry. Overall mean percent correct correlation per patient was only 14.1%. Patients missed an average of 85.7% of their contractions. Patients incorrectly perceived contractions that were not present an average of 40.3% of the time. Singleton gestations had significantly better correct correlations than twin gestations. Multiparous women had improved correlations compared with primiparous women. No significant correlation was found between maternal perceptive ability and gestational age. CONCLUSION: Women were unable to perceive accurately the presence or absence of preterm uterine activity through self-palpation compared with simultaneous measurement by home uterine tocodynamometry.