Abstract

*Enrique N. Domingo, Miguel B. Pizarro and Pablo Cruz Bardem

The objective of this study was to quantify the influence of intrapartum fetal pulse oximetry on rates of cesarean delivery motivated by nonreasssuring fetal heart rate. This is an Interventional quasiexperimental single-cohort study of women who fulfilled cardiotocographic criteria for ending labor. The decision whether to allow labor to proceed or to end labor was based on the FSpO2 value. Of the 156 pregnant women who met the cardiotocographic criteria for ending labor, cesarean delivery was used for only 47 based on a protocol for intrapartum fetal monitoring with pulse oximetry. Mean umbilical artery blood pH was 7.20. Intrapartum pulse oximetry for fetuses with nonreassuring fetal heart rate provided information on actual fetal oxygenation status, and led to a lower rate of false positive findings than with cardiotocographic monitoring and hence a reduction in the number of cesarean deliveries due to nonreassuring fetal heart rate.