| Abstrakt: |
Induced maternal hypoxia, using 15 per cent oxygen in nitrogen as a stimulus, causes a predictable pattern of response of the fetal heart rate. In clinically normal pregnancy, the fetal heart rate changes little, if at all, during the stimulation or poststimulation periods. In abnormal pregnancy, the stimulus is augmented by impaired placental function and causes a severe fetal response, clearly reflecting the secondary hypoxic status of the fetal environment. The theoretical basis for the stimulus-effect relationship is discussed. The correlation between test results and subsequent development of fetal distress is presented with the proposal for using this test in the prospective management or investigation of abnormal pregnancies. |
