title: Fetal distress and the condition of the newborn using cardiotocography and fetal blood analysis during labour.
abstract: The efficacy of electronic fetal monitoring combined with fetal blood analysis during labour in identifying fetal distress was investigated in a retrospective study. Operative delivery for fetal distress diagnosed during labour was performed in 9% of 2659 deliveries. All had continuous fetal heart rate monitoring and 22% had a fetal scalp blood analysis. Operative delivery had been performed in 53% of the infants who were acidotic at birth (umbilical artery pH less than 7.20) and in 46% of those with a low modified Apgar score (less than 7). These results show that the use of continuous fetal heart rate monitoring and fetal scalp blood sampling detects fetal distress without resulting in a high rate of operative delivery.
mesh_terms: D001034:Apgar Score; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000032:analysis*; D005316:Fetal Distress / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007743:Labor, Obstetric; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D012189:Retrospective Studies