Fetal heart monitoring during labor and delivery can help assess the health and well being of the fetus. It can help determine when there is “fetal distress” and the need for medication and other treatment including the need for caesarean section delivery. Fetal heart monitoring can also measure a mother’s contraction pattern and whether or not medication like Pitocin may be causing any fetal harm.
According to Medscape Today, a recent study found that the use of electronic fetal heart rate monitoring is related to a noteworthy decrease in neonatal illness and mortality.
The study was conducted by researchers at the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine (SMFM). The population used in the study included 42 percent of live births in the U.S. in 2004, about 1.7 million infants. Among the population, electronic fetal heart rate monitors were used in about 89 percent of deliveries.
Using data collected by the National Center for Health Statistics, the researchers found that the use of electronic fetal heart rate monitors by healthcare professionals decreases the neonatal fatality rate by 53 percent – a significant number.
If you believe your labor and/or delivery was not properly and accurately monitored, contact the New Jersey birth injury attorneys at Blume Forte. We can evaluate your medical records and the care you and your child were given before, during, and after the birth process to determine whether you have a meritorious claim. Call us at 973-845-4421 to schedule a no-cost consultation.