Journal – Physiological Measurement
Article type – Journal research article – Clinical research
Publication date – Nov – 2020
Authors – Camilo Ernesto Valderrama Cuadros, Nasim Katebi, Faezeh Marzbanrad, Peter Rohloff, Gari D Clifford
Keywords – Fetal Monitoring; Fetal cardiac assessment; Low-and middle-income country; Mobile applications; Perinatal Care.
Open access – Yes
Speciality – Obstetrics and Gynaecology
World region Global

Language – English
Submitted to the One Surgery Index on December 14, 2020 at 8:29 am
Abstract:

There is limited evidence regarding the utility of fetal monitoring during pregnancy, particularly during labor and delivery. Developed countries rely on consensus `best practices’ of obstetrics and gynecology professional societies to guide their protocols and policies. Protocols are often driven by the desire to be as safe as possible and avoid litigation, regardless of the cost of downstream treatment. In high-resource settings, there may be a justification for this approach. In low-resource settings, in particular, interventions can be costly and lead to adverse outcomes in subsequent pregnancies. Therefore, it is essential to consider the evidence and cost of different fetal monitoring approaches, particularly in the context of treatment and care in low-to-middle income countries. This article reviews the standard methods used for fetal monitoring, with particular emphasis on fetal cardiac assessment which is a reliable indicator of fetal well-being. An overview of fetal monitoring practices in low-to-middle income counties, including perinatal care access challenges, is also presented. Finally, an overview of how mobile technology may help reduce barriers to perinatal care access in low-resource settings is provided.

OSI Number – 20801

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