Physiologic basis of antenatal testing.
Hypoxic injury accounts for approximately 20 to 40% of stillbirths in published autopsy series. Antepartum fetal testing modalities can discriminate between the fetus at risk for hypoxic injury and the normally oxygenated fetus. These modalities have resulted in a significant reduction in this category of stillbirths. The physiologic underpinning for the antepartum testing is reviewed with a brief discussion of the two major approaches to testing.
Harris
J L
JL
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, King-Drew Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA 90059, USA.
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D005313:Fetal Death / Q000209:etiology; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005323:Fetal Monitoring / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D011247:Pregnancy / Q000502:physiology*; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis / Q000379:methods*; D012307:Risk Factors