Premium
Intermittent Auscultation of the Fetal Heart Rate During Labor: An Opportunity for Shared Decision Making
Author(s) -
Hersh Sally,
Megregian Michele,
Emeis Cathy
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
journal of midwifery and women's health
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.543
H-Index - 62
eISSN - 1542-2011
pISSN - 1526-9523
DOI - 10.1111/jmwh.12178
Subject(s) - auscultation , fetal heart rate , medicine , childbirth , fetus , stethoscope , heart rate , obstetrics , pregnancy , intensive care medicine , cardiology , blood pressure , radiology , biology , genetics
Electronic fetal heart rate monitoring is the most common form of intrapartal fetal assessment in the United States. Intermittent auscultation of the fetal heart rate is an acceptable option for low‐risk laboring women, yet it is underutilized in the hospital setting. Several expert organizations have proposed the use of intermittent auscultation as a means of promoting physiologic childbirth. Within a shared decision‐making model, the low‐risk pregnant woman should be presented with current evidence about options for fetal heart rate assessment during labor.