Fetal CTG

In the second half of pregnancy the number of tests and examinations increases. To them suddenly another species is added: CTG of the fetus. At the first pregnancy, the expectant mother is frightened: does it mean that something is wrong with the child?

Lovely future moms, you should know that CTG fetus is usually no more than a routine check of how the uterus muscles behave and how the heart beats the future baby. CTG is cardiotography , the procedure is absolutely painless and completely harmless.

All women in the second half of pregnancy, after the 26th week, are prescribed at least twice the passage of cardiothorachography. As a rule, this examination is recorded in advance and arrive at a fixed hour.

This procedure is not fast. To collect fairly objective information about uterine contractions and fetal heart activity , it takes from 40 to 60 minutes. A woman is either laid on a comfortable couch, or seated in a comfortable deep armchair, and the CTG measurement of the fetus begins: a special sensor is attached to her abdomen, which transmits information to the electronic unit, the information reflected is fixed on a special tape.

Dear women, do not torment the questions of the laboratory assistant, she does not understand much better than you in all these figures and lines. Actually, only the doctor can give the results of the check, after a complete decoding of the data.

When testing the CTG of the fetus, decoding evaluates a number of indicators of its condition:

1. Basal rhythm (otherwise it is called heart rate - heart rate). The fetus has a pulse more often than the already born child. According to the CTG of the fetus, at rest the pulse of the baby fluctuates in the interval from 100 to 160 beats per minute, with the stirring - up to 190.

2. The variability (that is, individual deviations from the norm) can reach 25 beats per minute.

3. Acceleration of the heart rate (it is also an acceleration), as a rule, happens more than 2 times in 10 minutes. How much more depends on the individual characteristics of the baby's future. On the tape shows high "peaks"

4. Deceleration of heart rate (deceleration) may be completely absent or has low indicators (small "pits").

5. Togogram - uterine activity. It is normally not more than 15% of the heart rate, the duration is more than thirty seconds.

On a special scale, each indicator is evaluated - and the doctor responsible for the development of the fetus is informed of the final indicators.

If the sum of indicators from 9 to 12 points, you can go for a walk calmly: there is no reason for alarm. But this does not mean that you can dismiss the repeated invitation to the examination - vigilance has not prevented anyone, just now you can not worry: you are doing fine!

If the doctor reports that the sum of the scores on the results of CTF of the fetus is from 6 to 8 points, then the fetus does not receive enough oxygen, there is a pronounced hypoxia (not threatening). This may be the result of a mother's illness, the cord of the baby with the umbilical cord, sometimes the first analysis is simply inaccurate for some reason. A woman is referred for a second analysis.

And only if the total score is 5 or less - this means pronounced oxygen starvation of the fetus. In this case, offer emergency delivery, so that the fetal cortex is not affected.

And what is ACTH norm? Why is it necessary to take blood for analysis to determine it? This is a test that has nothing in common with the CTG of the fetus. The ACTH norm determines the amount of corticotropic hormones in the blood. The upper limit of the norm is up to 69 pmol / liter, the lower limit is 7.2 pmol / liter. This hormone prepares the uterus for childbirth, reduces the level of birth stress, participates in the process of "starting" the mechanism of childbirth. It is counted by the presence of blood plasma. The analysis is done once.

Lovely mom, if the doctor gives direction - this is not a reason for alarm. Try to stay calm, everything will be fine with you.