Electronic foetal monitoring (EFM) provides graphic and numeric information on foetal heart rate (FHR) and maternal uterine activity (UA) to help clinical personnel assess foetal well-being. Foetal monitors can also provide documentation of the foetus’s condition that could be useful in the event of litigation. During labour, the FHR often exhibits decelerations and accelerations in response to uterine contractions or foetal movements; certain patterns are indicative of hypoxia. Examination of these patterns, the baseline level, and variability characteristics can indicate the need to alter the course of labour with drugs or perform an operative delivery (caesarean section or forceps delivery) if corroborated by other clinical evidence.
Antepartum monitors are used to monitor the foetus’s development, movement, and FHR patterns in utero. They also are often used in the hospital for high-risk mothers who are hospitalized before term for observation or treatment not in conjunction with labour. Antepartum monitors have only external monitoring capabilities, such as ultrasound and external UA, and are typically used in the physician's office or clinic.
