Fetal heart monitoring

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Fetal heart and uterine contraction monitor

Internal fetal monitoring

Nonstress test; Contraction stress test; Scalp monitoring

Normal values show a fetal heart rate between 120 and 160 beats per minute and are a sign that the developing baby is not in distress. The heart beat may vary 5 - 25 beats per minute from the baseline (normal) fetal heart rate.

A rise above baseline with fetal movement is a reassuring sign.

The fetal heart rate may drop slightly during a contraction. This is normal as long as the fetal heart rate recovers quickly once the contraction has stopped.

Fetal heart monitoring tests can detect the following abnormal situations or conditions during pregnancy:

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• Reduced blood flow to the developing baby (cord compression)
• Block of electrical signals within the heart muscle, causing an altered heart beat (fetal heart block)
• Incorrect positioning of the baby (fetal malposition)
• Too little oxygen supply to the developing baby (potential fetal hypoxia)
• Infection (monitoring cannot diagnose an infection, but can suggest the presence of an infection)
• Too little oxygen exchange between the uterus and the placenta (uteroplacental insufficiency)
• Fetal distress
• Abruptio placenta
• Severe anemia in the developing baby

Review Date: 02/22/2010
Reviewed By: Linda J. Vorvick, MD, Medical Director, MEDEX Northwest Division of Physician Assistant Studies, University of Washington, School of Medicine; Susan Storck, MD, FACOG, Chief, Eastside Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound, Redmond, Washington; Clinical Teaching Faculty, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org).