The main purpose of fetal heart rate monitoring is to alert us if your baby is not getting enough oxygen. We want your baby to come through labor and delivery as smoothly as possible. We don’t want the stress of labor to threaten an infant’s health.
A baby’s heart rate during labor should be between 110 and 160 beats per minute, but it may fluctuate above or below this rate for a variety of reasons. Short bursts of acceleration of the baby’s heart rate are common and indicate that the baby is getting an adequate oxygen supply. Brief decelerations in the baby’s heart rate also can be normal, such as when the baby’s head is compressed while in the birth canal.
If these accelerations or decelerations are not occurring at the stages they should be, or if they are prolonged, it could mean a number of things, such as the umbilical cord is compressed and blood flow to the baby has been slowed. Sometimes a simple intervention such as changing your labor position will improve the situation. If the fetal heart rate results indicate that your baby may be in danger, your physician may recommend an operative vaginal delivery (using forceps or a vacuum device) or a cesarean section.
The use of fetal heart rate monitoring has grown dramatically in the past 35 years. In 1980, electronic fetal monitoring was used on 45 percent of pregnant women in labor. By 2002, that number had jumped to 85 percent. Despite the increased use of the technology, we have not seen a reduction in the risk of death and long-term problems from lack of oxygen – such as cerebral palsy. Meanwhile, studies have shown a link between fetal heart rate monitoring and increased interventions – such as C-sections and assisted deliveries using forceps or vacuums – when we are concerned the baby is in danger.
False-positive fetal heart rate monitoring readings – which indicate there is a problem when the baby is actually fine – are common. We classify fetal heart rate readings according to three categories:
We’re good at identifying when a baby looks normal (category 1). And we’re good at identifying when something is wrong and we need to take immediate action (category 3). In the middle, it gets complicated. Do we act? Do we not act? It’s that big, gray area of category 2 where false-positives often show up.
Because we haven’t been able to demonstrate an improvement in newborn outcomes with conventional electronic fetal monitoring, obstetricians have investigated other possible ways to improve monitoring fetuses during labor. UT Southwestern participated in a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health that analyzed fetal electrocardiographic information with continuous internal monitoring. Unfortunately, that study did not show improvement in newborn outcomes or a reduction in the number of C-sections performed.
A lot of factors go into assessing a baby’s wellbeing during labor – for example, the mother’s health at the time affects the baby, so we need to take that into account. This is where technology can’t replace a good doctor. If I see a fetal heart rate that doesn’t look great, the first thing I do is examine the patient. You have to put the reading in the context of what’s going on, and a fetal heart rate monitor can’t do that.
Fetal heart rate monitors are useful tools, and babies’ lives have been saved because this technology has alerted us to problems. Still, we need to be aware of their limitations and remember that while a normal reading does not guarantee perfect health later, neither does a concerning reading predict future health problems.
If you’re interested in receiving pregnancy information, tips and patient stories in your inbox, sign up for the Your Pregnancy Matters notification list. We’ll email you when new stories are published on our blog.
With high quality products and considerate service, we will work together with you to enhance your business and improve the efficiency. Please don't hesitate to contact us to get more details of Fetal Monitoring Belts, OEM Maternity Belts, Pelvic Support Band Pregnancy.