What are fetal spiral electrodes used for?
A fetal spiral electrode (FSE) is a piece of equipment used in conjunction with a fetal heart monitor to evaluate fetal well-being. The FSE attaches directly to the baby and provides a precise reading of the fetal heart rate (FHR) by measuring the electrical activity of the heart.
Does a fetal scalp electrode hurt the baby?
Can a fetal scalp electrode harm the baby? Fetal scalp electrode placement is a relatively safe procedure that does not use any sharp instruments or radiations. There may, however, be an increased risk of infections, injury, and bruising of the baby’s scalp or other body parts.
How do fetal scalp electrodes work?
A spiral wire called the fetal scalp electrode is placed just beneath the skin of the fetal scalp. The fetal scalp electrode then transmits direct information about the fetal heart rate through a wire to the fetal monitor that prints out this information.
Can fetal monitoring prevent cerebral palsy?
With decades of evidence that electronic monitoring is ineffective in preventing cerebral palsy but contributes to a heightened rate of surgical births, that evidence should be made clear by relevant professional societies to medical practitioners and trainees, lawyers, and the public.
Can you refuse internal fetal monitoring?
As with all interventions in labor and birth, there is a time and a place for them. You also have the right to ask questions about why this procedure is recommended. You can also decline any intervention or procedure that you are not comfortable with.
When would you use a fetal scalp electrode?
Fetal heart rate monitoring via a fetal scalp electrode is indicated whenever other monitoring modalities are unsatisfactory in a laboring patient with ruptured membranes. For a low-risk patient, intermittent auscultation of the fetal heart may provide acceptable monitoring.
When should you not use a fetal scalp electrode?
When the mother has a severe infection, such as herpes or HIV, the doctor may not use a fetal scalp electrode. Using an internal monitor could increase the chance of spreading the infection to the baby.
How can you tell if your having contractions on a monitor?
Contractions are in red. When you’re looking at the screen, the fetal heart rate is usually on the top and the contractions at the bottom. When the machine prints out graph paper, you’ll see the fetal heart rate to the left and the contractions to the right.