Neonatal encephalopathy and cerebral palsy revisited: The current state of kowledge and the impact of American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Task Force report

Objectives: To re-assess obstetrician-gynecologists' knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy and cerebral palsy after publication of the ACOG/AAP Task Force report. Study design: A questionnaire investigating knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy and cerebral palsy was mailed to 1060 members of ACOG, 337 of whom participated in a similar study in 2001. Results: There was a strong association between familiarity with ACOG documentation and knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy (NE) and cerebral palsy (CP) (p<0.001). As with obstetricians surveyed in 2001, knowledge gaps remain. Performance was better on practices questions than knowledge questions. About one-third (34.2%) of the physicians said their knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy was poor or deficient; the majority (76%) rated their residency training as inadequate to marginal. Conclusion: The results indicate better knowledge of neonatal encephalopathy and cerebral palsy among physicians more familiar with the Task Force report. There is a clear need for emphasis on these topics during training and continuing medical education.