Randomized trial of fetal monitoring

Abstract

During the past two decades there have been marked advances in the methods available for assessing the condition and wellbeing of the fetus during labour. Improvements in the quality of continuous electronic monitoring equipment have led to such equipment being employed routinely in many centres. In some, the technique has been backed up by the use of scalp blood sampling to measure the fetal pH. Others rely solely on fetal heart rate patterns to decide whether the baby is in a healthy condition or whether immediate delivery, often by caesarean section, is necessary. Another alternative, often employed because of financial stringency, is to use clinical methods of assessing the fetus and, should these be abnormal, to perform scalp sampling directly.