Patient's question:
Yesterday at 37 weeks, I had a routine prenatal check-up, which included a fetal heart monitoring test. It lasted for 20 minutes. The heartbeat was normal, but there was no fetal movement. The doctor said there was no reaction and advised me to go to the emergency department of the hospital for a recheck in the evening. At the hospital, I had another monitoring test, and the baby's fetal movement was excellent. The doctor then said the fetal heart rate was too fast and asked me to wait for half an hour before testing again. However, the instrument test still showed no fetal movement.What kind of help do I need: How to read the fetal heart monitoring graph to determine if there is hypoxia?
Doctor's answer:
Hello, when the fetus experiences hypoxia in the uterus, the main manifestations are frequent fetal movements and abnormal fetal heart rate. If fetal movement is less than 10 times within 12 hours, it indicates severe hypoxia in the fetus. Generally, fetal movement within 24 hours is around 30 times, which is considered normal. If fetal movement increases significantly, it also suggests the presence of hypoxia, and immediate medical attention is required. The cause of fetal hypoxia should be identified, and the mother should be given oxygen to alleviate the hypoxia in the fetus.There are many causes of fetal hypoxia, such as insomnia and anemia you are currently experiencing. These conditions can lead to chronic hypoxia in the fetus. If the fetus is exposed to prolonged hypoxia, it can affect its growth and development. Due to severe insomnia and moderate or more severe anemia, the risk of chronic hypoxia in the fetus is even higher. Given that you are experiencing frequent fetal movements, it is likely that the fetus is suffering from hypoxia. It is recommended that you visit the hospital for examination and actively treat your anemia and insomnia.