Dopplers

Ultrasonic dopplers have been in use since the late 1950’s to detect the fetal heartbeats in earlier stages of pregnancy. Dopplers use high frequency sound waves that reflect off the fetal heart and then are amplified by the listening device. It is one of the safest means available to detect the fetal heartbeat. There are no known reports of any adverse biological or health effects from the use of ultrasonic dopplers.

The fetal heartbeat is much faster than an adult human heartbeat and sounds similar to that of a galloping horse. The fetal heartbeat can be heard as early as 10 weeks into the pregnancy. However, depending on the position and movement of the baby it may not always be detected. Oftentimes you may hear background noise while listening to the baby’s heartbeat including blood flow through the abdomen, a swishing sound, or background noise as the doppler probe is moved over the abdomen. The most important part of a doppler is the sound. Modern units provide a crystal clear static-free signal for maximum clarity.

Now Moms- and Dads-to-be can hear the wonderful sounds of their unborn babies, months before birth, right in their own homes. The doppler amplifies hiccups and kicks and lets you hear your baby’s heartbeat. It is completely safe and allows friends and family to feel closer to the coming baby. Your baby’s first sounds can even be recorded to treasure for a lifetime. It can also be used to record mom’s heartbeat, which can later be used to soothe the newborn after birth.

The device works best in the late second and third trimester of pregnancy. It is completely safe and non-intrusive – it just amplifies fetal sounds. A strong, regular heartbeat is a sign that an infant is doing well during labour. A significant, prolonged drop in rate or intensity of the heartbeat is a sign of distress of a fetus that may, on occasion, necessitate a caesarian delivery in order to prevent damage to the infant.

Exercise 20. Retell the text “Dopplers”

Exercise 21. Translate the text in a written form.

Electronic Fetal Monitors

Electronic fetal monitoring is a routine procedure used in hospital delivery rooms. It is practically worthless according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. Researches found that 99 percent of the fetal distress signs turn out to be false alarms, but not before spurring various invasive procedures such as caesarian operations.

In most cases it is not recommended to use the electronic fetal monitor (as well as the internal fetal monitor). Besides being extremely unnatural and painful, doctors want to have continuous fetal monitoring and it is known that in most cases, routine continuous fetal monitoring of woman does not improve fetal or maternal well being. It only increases the caesarian rates.

About four percent of caesarian section patients experience serious complications. The intent of the surgery is to prevent complications of oxygen deprivation, such as cerebral palsy, but the same study finds that the operation may not be justified. The cerebral palsy incidence was the same in caesarian sectioned babies as it was in those delivered vaginally.

The physician-inventor of the electronic fetal monitor, Dr. Edward H. Hon, identified several factors that could have an adverse effect on the fetal heart rate, and so made such monitoring seem most desirable: intrinsic fetal disease, placental disease, cord compression, maternal disease, drugs administered for analgesia and anesthesia, and maternal hypotension from the supine position, from conduction anaesthesia or from both. Many of these factors are either directly generated by or made more dangerous in the hospital, where fetal infections commonly result from many vaginal exams.