Fractionated intermittent auscultation as a predictive test of intrapartum foetal distress.

Abstract

Objective of the study was to assess the feasibility and usefulness of five second fractionated intermittent auscultation and to compare it with the conventional fifteen minute interval continuous auscultation over one minute in detecting Fetal heart ratedecelerations during labour. Nine hundreds consecutive pregnant women who were in spontaneous labour between 38 to 41 weeks of gestation with singleton cephalic presentation and normal foetal heart rate were recruited for the study. Mothers having Gestational diabetes, fetal growth restriction, abnormal Foetal heart rate on admission, pre eclampsia, prelabour rupture of membranes 24 hours were excluded from the study. The main out come measure was the five minute Apgar score. Five second fractionated Fetal heart rate below 9 and above 13 were taken as abnormal. Fractionated intermitted auscultation is feasible and a useful method of intra partum fetal monitoring and it is superior to conventional method of intermittent auscultation using Pinard stethoscope