Predicting survival of periviable fetuses using NICHD fetal heart rate categories.

Objective: To evaluate whether National Institute of Child Health and Human Health and Development (NICHD) fetal heart rate categories were predictive of neonatal survival in periviable pregnancies.

Methods: We reviewed the charts of 57 infants delivered at 23 and 24 weeks' gestation. Fetal heart rate tracings were evaluated following the NICHD 2008 criteria, using the acceleration height of 10 bpm and duration of 10 s.