Premium
The biophysical profile. A literature review and reassessments of its usefulness in the evaluation of fetal well‐being.
Author(s) -
Finberg H J,
Kurtz A B,
Johnson R L,
Wapner R J
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/jum.1990.9.10.583
Subject(s) - nonstress test , medicine , biophysical profile , fetal monitoring , protocol (science) , amniotic fluid , predictive value , fetus , intensive care medicine , pregnancy , pathology , fetal heart rate , alternative medicine , heart rate , biology , blood pressure , genetics
Antenatal monitoring studies to assess fetal well‐being and to identify the compromised fetus are in widespread use. This literature review analyzes the theoretical basis for fetal monitoring and the clinical research that has defined its utility, and it discusses the variations in protocols and scoring systems for the biophysical profile. While recognizing that there, is as yet, no consensus on the optimal monitoring protocol, the authors espouse one approach in which the cardiac nonstress test and the amniotic fluid volume are the initial tests, with full biophysical profile reserved for abnormal test outcomes. This approach to monitoring should be expeditious without diminishing its predictive value.