What fetal heart rate usually indicates serious fetal distress?
Category:
family and relationships
pregnancy
A baseline bradycardia of less than 110 beats per minute usually indicates fetal distress which is caused by severe fetal hypoxia. If late decelerations are also present, a baseline bradycardia indicates that the fetus is at great risk of dying.
Besides, what are signs of fetal distress?
2. Signs of fetal distress: abnormal fetal heart rate
- An abnormally fast heart rate (tachycardia)
- An abnormally slow heart rate (bradycardia)
- Abrupt decreases in heart rate (variable decelerations)
- Late returns to the baseline heart rate after a contraction (late decelerations)
Beside above, what are the causes of fetal distress?
There are many causes of "fetal distress" including:
- Breathing problems.
- Abnormal position and presentation of the fetus.
- Multiple births.
- Shoulder dystocia.
- Umbilical cord prolapse.
- Nuchal cord.
- Placental abruption.
- Premature closure of the fetal ductus arteriosus.
The normal FHR tracing include baseline rate between 110-160 beats per minute (bpm), moderate variability (6-25 bpm), presence of accelerations and no decelerations. Uterine activity is monitored simultaneously: contractions frequency, duration, amplitude and relaxation time must be also normal.