12 - Assessment of Fetal Well-Being

Abstract

A primary objective of obstetric care is the assessment and prevention of adverse fetal and neonatal outcomes. Maternal care is an integral step toward this goal. Optimization of the maternal state, through monitoring and treatment of chronic conditions such as diabetes or hypertension or acute states like preeclampsia or preterm labor, is one important facet of care to achieve desirable perinatal outcomes. Monitoring and management of the fetus, although a more obvious step toward this goal, is somewhat less straightforward. Fetal assessment demands a view into the somewhat inaccessible intrauterine environment. This chapter reviews the tools for fetal assessment in the antepartum period, including fetal heart rate monitoring and ultrasound, and their indications and utility.