A brief outline is given of intensive care methods to monitor the foetus during labour. Attention is drawn to the need for more widespread emphasis on the early detection of foetal hypoxia, so that morbidity, in the form of anoxic cerebral damage, will be reduced.
References
1.
BeardR. W., and MorrisE. D. (1969): “Foetal Distress — Some Biochemical Considerations”. Modern Trends in Obstetrics 4. Ed. KellerR. J., Butterworth (London).
2.
BeardR. W., FilshieG. M., KnightC. A., and RobertsG. M. (1971): “The significance of the changes in the continuous foetal heart rate in the first stage of labour”, The Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology of the British Commonwealth, 78, 865
3.
BensonR. C., BerendesH., and WeissW. (1967): “Foetal Compromise during Elective Caesarean section”. Fifth World Congress of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, ed. Carl Wood, Butterworth (Australia), 92.
4.
Caldeyro-BarciaR.. (1961): “In proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Medical Electronics”, ed. RommerP. L., p. 1, Princeton, N.J., Princeton University Press.
5.
ColtartT. M., TrickeyN. R. A., and BeardR. W. (1969): “Foetal blood sampling. Practical approach to management of foetal distress”, Brit. Med. J., 1, 342.
6.
CopeI., and StevensL. (1971): “Reducing Perinatal Mortality”, Med. J. Aust., 2, 1172.
7.
FarrV. (1970): “Clinical Experience with Foetal Blood pH measurement in Foetal Distress”, Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of The British Commonwealth, 77, 587.
8.
GandyG., GrannL., CunninghamN., AdamsonsK.Jr., and JamesL. S. (1964): “The validity of pH and pCO2 measurements in capillary samples in sick and healthy newborn infants”Pediatrics, 34, 192.
9.
Grattan-SmithM. (1971): “A Critical Time of Life”, Health in N.S.W., 12, 14.
10.
HonE. H., and HessO. W. (1960): “The clinical value of foetal electrocardiography”, Amer. J. Obslet. Gynaec., 79, 1012.
11.
NewmanW., BraidD., and WoodC. (1967): “Foetal acid-base status”, Amer. J. Obstet. Gynec., 97, 43.
12.
RoothG. (1964): “Early detection and prevention of foetal acidosis”, Lancet, 1, 290.
13.
SalingE. (1967): Foetal and Neonatal Hypoxia, Edward Arnold Ltd., London.
14.
SjostedtS. (1962): “Acid base balance of arterial blood during pregnancy, at delivery and in the puerperium”, Amer. J. Obstet. Gynec., 84, 775.
