Keep a log, or make assumptions that my baby was fine. (Home blood pressure monitors, anyone? Are those to be discarded, too?)ĭuring my high-risk pregnancy, when I was feeling anxious or simply curious, I used my rented fetal heart monitor to feel more connected to the little life inside me. I disagree with critics who posit that non-medical personnel should not be using medical equipment for their own body’s care. If fetal movements are a worry, or if there’s bleeding, a pregnant women should be seen by her doctor. If the fetus is moving they can be sure it does. Monitoring at home in untrained hands, even if done correctly with a good device, can only tell expectant parents if the fetus has a heartbeat. It’s the changes in rate relative to the environment–andĭuring labor also to the uterine contractions–which makes the fetal monitor a useful tool in conjunction with other information and tests in the trained hands of an obstetrician. Fetal heart rate undergoes constant changes in response to the fetal environment and stimuli. Interpreting fetal heart rate is pretty complicated. This device was put out in the market without a shred of evidence it can aid fetal or maternal health in any way.Īnd I’m glad you mentioned the risk of false assurance. I wish there were some regulation on medical device sales, to protect the trusting public from wasting money on useless devices such as the fetal heart monitor. However, they are dangerous if they are used by untrained people as an alternative to seeking medical advice.” “These monitors can be great fun, and I would ![]() “On their own, these monitors are harmless it is their improper use by parents to reassure themselves which can be dangerous,” Dr. If a mother is concernedĪnd feels she needs reassurance, she should immediately consult her doctor. He said the devices should, however, never be used for reassurance. Chakladar notes that parents are not at fault and that there is nothing wrong with listening to a baby’s heartbeat. “In hospital, fetal health is assessed by experienced midwives and doctors who take a team approach.”ĭr. “This is something that comes only with experience,” Dr. Way for them to know whether the baby is well or in distress. And even when parents do find the fetal heartbeat, there is no It is difficultįor an inexperienced person to distinguish between a baby’s heartbeat and the whooshing sounds of a mother’s own pulse or blood flow. Chakladar said there was no way to know if the baby’s death could have been prevented, but the fetal heart monitor gave false reassurance and delayed the woman from seeking medical attention. When she finally visited the doctor on Monday, an ultrasound scan showed the baby had died.ĭr. Monitor, and after hearing what she believed to be her baby’s heartbeat, was reassured that nothing was wrong. On a Friday, she noticed that the baby wasn’t moving. The 34-year-old woman was nearly full-term with her first baby and had experienced a healthy and uneventful 38 weeks of pregnancy. Hazel Adams, both of the Princess Royal Hospital in Britain, tell the tragic story of a pregnant woman who used a home heart monitor to reassure herself that her baby was fine. In a commentary published today at BMJ.com, Dr. ![]() The site Heartbeats at Home claims its fetal heart monitors are “simply the best way to gain the assurance and peace of mind every pregnant women desires, especially during a high-risk pregnancy.”īut now British doctors are warning parents-to-be that the home heart monitors can give a false sense of security and lead to delays in medical treatment. ![]() ![]() “Share the joy of pregnancy and peace of mind of knowing your baby is safe,” the Belly Beats Web site says. Internet advertisements and parenting Web sites often advise pregnant women to use a fetal heart monitor at home and be reassured by listening to their baby’s heart beat. Filip Kwiatkowski for The New York Times Pregnant women often use home fetal heart monitors for reassurance.
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