Electronic Fetal Monitoring Health Article

Definition

Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) is a method for examining the condition of a baby in the uterus by noting any unusual changes in its heart rate. Electronic fetal monitoring is performed late in pregnancy or continuously during labor to ensure normal delivery of a healthy baby. EFM can be utilized either externally or internally in the womb.

Purpose

The heart rate of a fetus undergoes constant adjustment as it responds to its environment and other stimuli. The fetal monitor records an unborn baby's heart rate and graphs it on a piece of paper. Electronic fetal monitoring is usually advised for high-risk pregnancies, when the baby is in danger of distress. Specific reasons for EFM include: babies in a breech position, premature labor, and induced labor, among others.

When electronic fetal monitoring was originally introduced in the 1960s and 1970s, the hope was that it would help physicians diagnose fetal hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, in time to prevent damage to the baby. This lack of oxygen, also known as perinatal asphyxia or birth asphyxia, is an important cause of stillbirth and newborn deaths. It occurs when there are less than normal amounts of oxygen delivered to the body or an organ and there is build-up of carbon dioxide in the body or tissue. A lack of blood flow to an organ can cause asphyxia. Perinatal asphyxia can occur a long time before birth, shortly before birth, during delivery, or after birth. If the interruption to the supply of oxygen is short, the baby may recover without any damage. If the time is longer, there may be some injury that is reversible. If the time period without oxygen is very long, there may be permanent injury to one or more organs of the body. It is important, to detect any signs of asphyxia as soon as possible. One of the signs is an abnormal heart rate and rhythm in

the unborn baby, which can be detected by electronic fetal monitoring.

The fetal monitor is a more intricate version of the machine that a health care provider uses to listen to a baby's heartbeat. The monitor that is used during prenatal visits just picks up the sound of the baby's heart beating. The fetal monitor also keeps a continuous paper record of the heart rate. In addition, the fetal monitor can record uterine contractions on the lower part of the paper strip. This helps the doctor or midwife determine how a baby is handling the stress of contractions. The normal pattern is for the baby's heartbeat to drop slightly during a contraction and then go back to normal after the contraction is over. EFM looks for any changes from this normal pattern, particularly if there is a drastic drop in the baby's heart beat or if the heart rate does not recover immediately after a contraction.

Because it is an indirect test, it is not perfect. When an adult complains to a provider about not feeling well, checking the heart rate is only one of many things that the doctor will do. With an unborn baby, however, checking the heart rate is basically the only thing that a doctor or midwife can do.

Fetal monitoring can be helpful in a variety of different situations. During pregnancy, fetal monitoring can be used as a part of antepartum testing. If the practitioner feels that a baby may be at increased risk of problems toward the end of pregnancy, a baby can be checked every week or every other week with a non-stress test. In this test, changes in the baby's heart rate are measured along with the fetus' own movements. The heart rate of a healthy baby should go up whenever she or he moves.

Fetal monitoring is used on and off during early labor. As labor progresses, more monitoring is often needed. Usually, as the time for delivery nears, the monitor is left on continuously since the end of labor tends to be the most stressful time for the baby.

A baby who is having trouble in labor will show characteristic changes in heart rate after a contraction (late decelerations). If a baby is not receiving enough oxygen to withstand the stress of labor and delivery is many hours away, a cesarean section (C-section) may be necessary.