Electronic fetal monitoring

What is electronic fetal monitoring?
By Robin Elise Weiss, LCCE, About.com Guide
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Intrapartum electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) interpretation and management continue to be a common issue in litigation involving adverse outcomes in term pregnancies.

Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM)
The continuous monitoring of the baby during labour, either through transducers which are attached by belts to the mother's abdomen, ...

Electronic fetal monitoring - Use of electronic instruments to record the fetal heartbeat and the mother's contractions.
Embryo - Organism in the early stages of development.

Electronic fetal monitoring shows considerable variation in interpretation among maternal-fetal medicine specialists and is not a sensitive predictor of the fetus developing metabolic acidosis.

Electronic Fetal Monitoring: This method provides beat to beat view of the baby's heart tones, in relationship to mother's contractions. This may be used either continuously or intermittently.

Electronic fetal monitoring without access to fetal scalp sampling during labor
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Prophylactic intrapartum amnio-infusion for oligohydramnios ...

Continuous electronic fetal monitoring is usually only used where there is a complication, or concerns about the baby.
Blood sample ...

What if I need electronic fetal monitoring (EFM)?
What happens during EFM?
How accurate is EFM?

Some issues that may arise during labor have been already discussed, however two common events that can occur are abnormalities in the baby's electronic fetal monitoring and infection in the uterus.

Request intermittent electronic fetal monitoring or the use of a fetoscope. Medical research has shown that continuous electronic fetal monitoring can increase the risk of cesarean without related improvement in outcome for the baby.

External electronic fetal monitoring: In this method, your health care provider straps an ultrasound transducer over your abdomen that will pick up the baby's heartbeat. The heartbeat will be recorded continuously on a paper strip.

Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) is necessary because epidurals can cause fetal distress, and the mother's vital signs must be closely monitored to warn of maternal adverse reactions.

During labor, continuous electronic fetal monitoring is often used, especially if an abnormal rhythm is heard with the fetoscope.

Do I have to have electronic fetal monitoring?
What percentage of women in this hospital have an episiotomy?
Is this hospital supportive of natural childbirth?
If I have to have a Cesearean section, can my partner stay with me?

While birthing centers are fully equipped with a variety of medications, IVs, oxygen, and if your baby needs it, resuscitation equipment, you won't find any electronic fetal monitoring equipment, epidurals, labor induction devices, or drugs.

And if you're going to have continuous electronic fetal monitoring and are interested in how it works, ask her to explain which lines on the strip show your contractions and which show the heartbeat, ...

Continuous electronic fetal monitoring is important to determine the degree of tolerance the fetus has for this bleeding and the extent to which uteroplacental circulation has been disrupted.

Electronic fetal monitor: A device that checks a fetus's progress and vital signs during pregnancy or when a woman is in labor. It records the fetal heartbeat and the mother's contractions. Electronic fetal monitoring can be external or internal.

If the cervix dilates too slowly or if other complications arise, your doctor and his surgical team will be ready to perform a c-section in a matter of minutes. Because of the potential for complications, continuous electronic fetal monitoring is ...

See also: Fetal Monitor, Fetal monitoring, Electronic Fetal Monitor, Pregnancy, Delivery