Fetal Monitor
A Fetal Monitor is a medical device that tracks an unborn baby's heart rate and the mother's uterine contractions during pregnancy and labor, helping clinicians detect fetal distress and guide decisions about timing and mode of delivery.
What is a fetal monitor?
A fetal monitor is a medical device that tracks an unborn baby's heart rate together with the mother's uterine contractions during pregnancy and labor. It can be applied externally with sensors on the abdomen or, in some cases, internally for more direct measurement.
By displaying the relationship between contractions and changes in the fetal heart rate, the device gives clinicians a continuous picture of how the baby is tolerating labor. Distinct patterns in that tracing can indicate reassuring status or emerging concern.
Why is a fetal monitor important?
Fetal monitoring helps clinicians detect signs of fetal distress in time to intervene, informing decisions about whether to continue labor, expedite delivery, or proceed to cesarean section. Timely interpretation can be critical to the safety of both mother and baby.
Fetal monitors belong to obstetric and labor-and-delivery settings rather than to ambulatory surgery centers, which focus on scheduled outpatient procedures. The device is most relevant to hospitals and birthing facilities equipped to manage labor and delivery.
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