Abstract
In 9 labors at term pregnancy, fetal heart rate (FHR) and amniotic pressure were recorded electronically from the onset of labor until delivery. The actual pH was periodically determined in fetal capillary blood obtained from the scalp. The results confirm our observations that fetal acidosis in utero (pH lower than 7.20) precedes depression of the newborn. In addition, they suggest that fetal acidosis is usually associated with a typical pattern of FHR made up of: (1) high basal FHR, above 160 beats per minute, and (2) the presence of type II dips, i.e., transient falls of FHR occurring after each uterine contraction. Since these two FHR variations have been shown to be consistently related to the depression of the newborn (Apgar score 6 or lower), they are considered as reliable signs of fetal distress during labor. In normal labors, resulting in one delivery of vigorous newborn infants, the pH of fetal blood is higher than 7.20, FHR is about 130 to 150 beats per minute and type II dips are usually absent from the FHR tracing.
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