Fetal Heart Rate Characteristics That Provide Confidence in the Diagnosis of Fetal Well-being

Abstract

Fetal heart rate monitoring was first used as a clinical tool for the assessment of fetal danger and well-being. In the past decade, basic research has demonstrated the physiologic events associated with most heart rate changes. This review has demonstrated that study and semiquantification of the five analyzable features of an FHR recording can provide a strong reassurance of fetal health. The method has not proven as predictable for defining fetal disease, so additional parameters are needed to define clearly the significance of an abnormal FHR tracing.