Patient's question:
July 16, 2012Doctor's answer:
After three or four weeks of pregnancy, the fetal heart begins to beat. At first, it beats slower, only about 60 to 70 times per minute. At this stage, the heartbeat is very faint, and during a B examination, the fetal heartbeat can be displayed on the ultrasound screen. After the eighth week of pregnancy, the fetal heartbeat can reach around 180 times per minute. After the 14th week of pregnancy, the fetal heartbeat rate decreases to about 140 times per minute, and then remains between 120 to 160 times per minute. In addition to using a stethoscope to directly listen to the fetal heartbeat, doctors can also use a Doppler fetal heart monitor to detect the fetal heartbeat sound. A heartbeat that is too fast, too slow, or irregular indicates fetal hypoxia in the uterus, which can endanger the life of the fetus and requires immediate medical attention.