Intrapartum computerized fetal heart rate parameters and metabolic acidosis at birth

Abstract

In term pregnant women with reassuring FHR tracing, labor causes an increase in both short- and long-term FHR variation, which was abolished in the presence of nonreassuring FHR tracing. Computer-derived FHR parameters studied during the last hour of labor were not correlated with the degree of metabolic acidosis as measured in the umbilical artery at birth.