When is fetal heart rate monitoring necessary?

Topic: When is fetal heart rate monitoring necessary?

Doctors use fetal heart monitors to get an indication of a fetus’s health. They may use one in the following situations:

• During routine prenatal appointments: Healthcare professionals can use an ultrasound device to briefly monitor the fetus’s heart rate during routine checkups.
• To monitor for specific concerns: If someone is experiencing troubling symptoms during pregnancy, such as bleeding, a doctor may recommend heart monitoring to assess the well-being of the fetus. They can also use fetal heart monitoring to determine if preterm labor medications are affecting the fetus. These medications stop labor from beginning too early.
• During high risk pregnancies: If a person is at high risk of health or birth complications during pregnancy, a doctor may use a fetal heart monitor to detect signs of distress as early as possible.
• During labor: Once labor begins, a doctor can use a heart monitor to make sure the fetus is doing well during birth.

Several factors can increase the likelihood of a person having a high risk pregnancy. These include:

• having a health condition such as high blood pressure, diabetes, or HIV
• having overweight or obesity, which can increase the risk of several health conditions during pregnancy
• having multiple births, such as twins or triplets, which can make preterm birth or premature labor more likely
• being very young or older than 35 years of age, as these groups are more likely to experience preeclampsia and gestational high blood pressure

It is important to note that not everyone with these risk factors will go on to have a high risk pregnancy, and not all medical practices will recommend fetal monitoring based on a person’s age or body weight alone.

Topic Discussed: When is fetal heart rate monitoring necessary?

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