Long-term reactions of women to electronic fetal monitoring during labor.

The long-term reactions of women to electronic fetal monitoring during labor were studied by mailing a questionnaire to a random sample of 110 women two to five months postpartum. Of the 75 women who responded and in whom the fetal monitor had been used, 74 gave an overall positive response to fetal monitoring. Four important factors underlying the responses of the women were identified. The monitor was remembered as an important provider of information, as an agent of reassurance, and not as an invader of privacy. Most women did not remember the monitor as an uncomfortable or distracting agent, though their responses for this factor were not so strong as for the other factors. No significant associations were found between the four factors and marital status, age, education, parity, specialty of physician, length of monitoring, or amount and adequacy of prenatal information obtained about the monitor. Significant associations were found between three of the factors and race.