Risk factors for intrapartum acidemia - a cohort study.

Purpose: Birth acidemia is associated with short- and long-term morbidity in the child. Optimal intrapartum surveillance and timely interventions may reduce the incidence of these outcomes. Knowledge about conditions which increase the risks might be beneficial for optimal care.

Absence of accelerations during labor is of little value in interpreting fetal heart rate patterns.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between increasing time since fetal heart rate (FHR) accelerations, positive (no acceleration) stimulation tests and fetal acidemia.

Material And Methods: Observational study of FHR recordings from 1070 laboring women with indication for fetal scalp blood sampling (FBS). FHR traces were scrutinized regarding acceleration at FBS and duration since most recent acceleration.

Fetal heart rate monitoring of short term variation (STV): a methodological observational study.

Background: Cardiotocography (CTG) has high sensitivity, but less specificity in detection of fetal hypoxia. There is need for adjunctive methods easy to apply during labor. Low fetal heart rate short term variation (STV) is predictive for hypoxia during the antenatal period.

Neonatal outcome and delivery mode in labors with repetitive fetal scalp blood sampling.

Objective: To investigate if repeat (≥ 3) fetal scalp blood sampling (FBS) is associated with increased risk of caesarean delivery and worse neonatal outcome than occasional (1-2) FBS.

Study Design: Prospective cohort study of women undergoing intrapartum FBS at Karolinska University Hospital, Sweden. FBS with lactate analysis was performed if the attending doctor found the cardiotocography (CTG) tracing suspicious or abnormal.

Cardiotocography patterns and risk of intrapartum fetal acidemia.

Aim: To identify cardiotocography (CTG) patterns associated with increased risk of intrapartum fetal acidemia.

Methods: A prospective observational cohort study of 1070 women with fetal scalp blood sampling (FBS) during labor was conducted at Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden. Women with a nonreassuring CTG pattern underwent FBS, and lactate concentration was measured at the bedside.