Fetal cerebral perfusion is better than fetal acidaemia for the prediction of brain injury and might be assessable by sophisticated fetal heart rate metrics.

Abstract

As Georgieva et al point out in this issue of BJOG, the relationship between fetal blood pH and intrapartum brain injury is poor. In contrast, fetal cardiovascular decompensation (CVD) leads via dropping fetal systemic arterial blood pressure (ABP) to a precipitous fall in cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), resulting in cerebral ischaemia and injury.