Visual analysis of antepartum fetal heart rate tracings: inter- and intra-observer agreement and impact of knowledge of neonatal outcome.

Objective: To evaluate the inter- and intra-observer agreement of visual analysis of fetal heart rate tracing and to evaluate the bias introduced by knowledge of perinatal outcome in this interpretation.

Methods: One hundred tracings were independently analyzed by four observers. In a second study period, two observers re-analysed the 100 tracings in order to evaluate intra-observer agreement.