What is fetal distress

Recommended Reading. Changes in Fetal Movement. Fetal Movement During Pregnancy. Electronic Fetal Monitoring. View Sources. Merck Manual, Fetal Distress , January Fetal Health.

Pregnancy Groups. Third Trimester. The fetus reacts at the onset of asphyxia with a remarkable series of responses, primarily a complexly regulated redistribution of blood flow that serves to limit the deleterious effects of oxygen limitation in vital organs. This enables the fetus to survive asphyxia intact unless the insult is profound or prolonged.

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Courtesy of. Complications of Labor and Delivery. Test your knowledge. Maternal infections that develop after the delivery of a baby usually begin in the uterus.

The likelihood of developing a uterine infection is increased with which of the following types of delivery? More Content. Fetal Distress By Julie S. Fetal distress is a sign that your baby is not well. This can make it difficult for them to breathe after birth, or they may even stop breathing.

Fetal distress can also occur because the mother has a health condition such as diabetes , kidney disease or cholestasis a condition that affects the liver in pregnancy. It is more common when pregnancy lasts too long, or when there are other complications during labour. Sometimes it happens because the contractions are too strong or too close together. A slow heart rate, or unusual patterns in the heart rate, may signal fetal distress. Another sign is if there is meconium in the amniotic fluid.

Let your doctor or midwife know right away if your notice the amniotic fluid is green or brown since this could signal the presence of meconium. The first step is usually to give the mother oxygen and fluids. If you had drugs to speed up labour, these may be stopped if there are signs of fetal distress. Sometimes a baby in fetal distress needs to be born quickly. This may be achieved by an assisted or instrumental delivery which is when the doctor uses either forceps or ventouse vacuum extractor to help you deliver the baby, or you might need to have an emergency caesarean.

Babies who experience fetal distress, such as having an usual heart rate or passing meconium during labour, are at greater risk of complications after birth. Lack of oxygen during birth can lead to very serious complications for the baby, including a brain injury, cerebral palsy and even stillbirth.

Fetal distress often requires birth by caesarean section. While this is a safe operation, it carries extra risks to both the mother and baby, including blood loss, infections and possible birth injuries.