Objective: To describe management characteristics and evaluate neonatal outcomes in cases of acute fetal distress, and to identify factors associated with Apgar scores at Hau Giang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Hospital from 2020 to 2024.
Subject and method: A retrospective descriptive study with analytical components was conducted on 78 pregnant women diagnosed with acute fetal distress. Maternal–fetal characteristics, management procedures, and neonatal outcomes were collected from medical records. Data were analyzed using SPSS 20.0. Descriptive statistics and Fisher’s exact test were applied, with p < 0.05 considered statistically significant.
Results: All women were managed with left lateral positioning and oxygen supplementation; 26.9% received intravenous fluids. Cesarean section accounted for 98.7% of deliveries, and 1.3% were forceps-assisted. The rate of Apgar <7 at 1 minute was 6.4%, and all newborns achieved Apgar ≥7 by 5 minutes. Most infants were stable after birth (98.7%), with 1.3% admitted to NICU and no neonatal deaths. Among the evaluated factors, only umbilical cord abnormalities demonstrated a statistically significant association with 1-minute Apgar scores (p = 0.02, Fisher’s exact test). However, the number of infants with low Apgar scores was small, so the result is suggestive rather than conclusive.
Conclusion: Early detection and appropriate management of acute fetal distress, particularly timely decision-making for cesarean delivery, contributed to favorable neonatal outcomes in this study. Umbilical cord abnormalities showed a statistically significant association with the 1-minute Apgar score; however, the small number of infants with low Apgar scores means this finding is only suggestive. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to more accurately assess the role of this factor.