title: The physiology of fetal heart rate patterns and perinatal asphyxia.
abstract: The purpose of electronic fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring is the ongoing assessment of fetal oxygenation. FHR tracings are analyzed for characteristic patterns that signify specific hypoxic or nonhypoxic events. A working knowledge of fetal physiology and the fetal response to hypoxia can aid and refine clinical interpretation of FHR patterns during labor. This article reviews the fetal response to decreased oxygenation, the physiology of subsequent FHR patterns and the clinical presentation of asphyxia in the newborn.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, University of California at San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: King
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Parer
mesh_terms: D001238:Asphyxia Neonatorum / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D005312:Fetal Blood / Q000737:chemistry; D005311:Fetal Hypoxia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005323:Fetal Monitoring; D006340:Heart Rate, Fetal / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008431:Maternal-Fetal Exchange; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D011247:Pregnancy
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen