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Chapter 63 - Fetal Compromise in Labor (Content last reviewed: 15th December 2018)

from Section 6 - Late Prenatal – Obstetric Problems

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 November 2017

By
Philip J. Steer  and
Edwin Chandraharan
Edited by
David James ,
Philip Steer ,
Carl Weiner ,
Bernard Gonik  and
Stephen Robson
David James
Affiliation:
University of Nottingham
Philip Steer
Affiliation:
Imperial College London
Carl Weiner
Affiliation:
University of Kansas
Bernard Gonik
Affiliation:
Wayne State University, Detroit
Stephen Robson
Affiliation:
University of Newcastle
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Summary

For many years it was taken to indicate the presence of hypoxia, leading to fetal acidosis. However, we have become more aware of the importance to the fetus of variables such as maternal/fetal temperature, chorioamnionitis, passage of meconium into the amniotic fluid (which can lead to meconium aspiration syndrome), and trauma, including events such as cord prolapse and head compression (which can occur from excessive molding even in spontaneous labor, but is more commonly associated with forceps and difficult cesarean deliveries).

Type
Chapter
Information
High-Risk Pregnancy
Management Options
 , pp. 1788 - 1809
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
First published in: 2017

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