Fetal heart monitoring

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Fetal heart and uterine contraction monitor

Internal fetal monitoring

Non-stress test; NST; CST; Contraction; Scalp monitoring

Normal values indicate that the fetus is not in distress by showing a fetal heart rate between 120 and 160 beats per minute, with variability of 5-25 beats per minute from the baseline (normal) fetal heart rate.

It is not uncommon for the fetal heart rate to drop slightly during a contraction, since placental blood supply is diminished under the compression of a uterine contraction, as long as the FHR recovers quickly once the contraction has stopped.

The following situations or conditions are considered abnormal results, and may be detected by your health care provider (by monitoring the data from these tests):

• Cord compression (there is no free blood flow to the fetus)
• Fetal heart block (where there is a block of electrical flow within the heart muscle causing an altered heart rhythm)
• Fetal malposition
• Fetal hypoxia (insufficient oxygen supply to the fetus)
• Infection (monitoring cannot diagnose an infection, but can suggest the presence of an infection)
• Uteroplacental insufficiency (insufficient oxygen exchange between the uterus and the placenta)
• Fetal distress
• Abruptio placenta

Review Date: 05/23/2006
Reviewed By: Audra Robertson, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network