What should I do if the fetal heart rate is unstable during pregnancy?

When a woman becomes pregnant, she will generally undergo a prenatal checkup at a certain stage of pregnancy. The main purpose of the checkup is to observe the condition of the fetus and the pregnant mother. Especially in the later stages of pregnancy, the number of prenatal checks will increase and the intervals will become closer. Fetal heart rate detection will be performed during each prenatal checkup. This is a very important examination for observing fetal development. However, what should be done when the fetal heart rate is unstable during pregnancy?

1. Situation 1

The fetal heartbeat usually appears around 7 weeks of pregnancy. However, due to the working principle of the stethoscope, it is not possible to amplify the fetal heartbeat. Therefore, if the fetus is too young, the heartbeat is not obvious and difficult to hear with a stethoscope. Generally, the fetal heart rate can be measured with a Doppler fetal heart monitor around 10-12 weeks of pregnancy, but it is not easy to hear the fetal heart rate with an ordinary stethoscope at this time. The fetal heart rate can only be heard with a stethoscope after 18-20 weeks of pregnancy.

2. Case 2

It should be noted that it is difficult for ordinary people to hear the fetal heartbeat with a stethoscope, but pregnant women can try to use a stethoscope to listen to the fetal heartbeat under the guidance of a doctor. Before 24 weeks of pregnancy, the fetal heart rate is mostly below the navel. After 24 weeks of pregnancy, as the fetus grows, the position of the fetal heart will move up. The normal fetal heart rate is regular and strong, with a fetal heart rate between 120-160 beats/minute.

3. Case 3

In most cases, abnormal fetal heart rate means that the fetus is suffering from hypoxia in the uterus. The more severe the abnormal fetal heart rate, the more severe the fetal hypoxia. However, not all abnormal fetal heart rate is caused by hypoxia. The condition of the pregnant woman herself also affects the changes in the fetal heart rate. For example, if the pregnant woman has a fever, the fetal heart rate will often exceed 160 beats/minute. If the pregnant woman has hyperthyroidism, her own heart rate is very fast, and the fetal heart rate will often exceed 160 beats/minute. If the pregnant woman takes certain medications, such as salbutamol taken during premature delivery, or atropine, it can cause the mother and child's heart rate to accelerate.

4 Situation 4

A slow fetal heart rate may be caused by fetal hypoxia, but sometimes pregnant women take certain medications, such as propranolol, which act on the fetus through the placenta and cause the fetal heart rate to slow down. When the fetal heart rate is persistently slow, it is important to check whether the fetus has congenital heart disease. In addition, after 40 weeks of pregnancy, due to developmental problems with the fetal nervous system, the fetal heart rate may sometimes be lower than 120 beats/minute. Therefore, when there is an abnormal fetal heart rate, it is necessary to carefully analyze the situation, make correct judgments and deal with it. If fetal hypoxia is indeed present, delivery should be carried out as soon as possible.