Comparative Study of Ultrasound with Transvaginal Finger Examination in Diagnosis of Abnormal Position and Presentation of Fetal Head

Abnormal position and presentation are challenges for obstetricians in about 10% of all pregnancies.

The purpose of this study was to compare ultrasound with transvaginal finger examination in detecting abnormal position and presentation of fetal head.

This was a cross-sectional study performed in Ali ibn-e Abitaleb Hospital of Zahedan in 2018. The women underwent vaginal finger examination in the first phase of delivery, and then trans-abdominal ultrasound was performed for pregnant women. All examinations and ultrasounds were performed by one person with the same ultrasound device. Data were analyzed with SPSS software.

In this study, 100 pregnant women were studied in the first phase of pregnancy. The mean age of the subjects was 24.7 ± 5.5 years old. Fetal head position was determined in 81 and 93% of women with vaginal examination and ultrasound, respectively. There was weak agreement (kappa = 0.416). Fetal presentation was determined by finger examination in 93% of cases and by ultrasound in 100% of cases. There was moderate agreement (kappa = 0.783).

In general, the results of this study showed that there was no significant difference between ultrasound and finger examination in the presentation and position of fetal head.