To estimate the incidence and risk of complications associated with a fetal scalp electrode and to determine whether its application in the setting of operative vaginal delivery was associated with increased neonatal morbidity.

Fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring is routine in intrapartum care worldwide and one of the most common obstetrical procedures. Intrapartum FHR monitoring helps assess fetal wellbeing and interpretation of the FHR help form decisions for clinical management and intervention. It relies on the observers' subjective assessments, with variation in interpretations leading to variations in intrapartum care. The purpose of this systematic review was to summarize and evaluate extant inter‐ and intrarater reliability research on the human interpretation of intrapartum FHR monitoring.

Intrauterine resuscitation techniques during term labor are commonly used in daily clinical practice. Evidence, however, to support the beneficial effect of intrauterine resuscitation techniques on fetal distress during labor is limited and sometimes contradictory. In contrast, some of these interventions may even be harmful.To give insight into the current evidence on intrauterine resuscitation techniques. In addition, we formulate recommendations for current clinical practice and propose directions for further research.We systematically searched the electronic PubMed, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases for studies on intrauterine resuscitation for suspected fetal distress during term labor until February 2015. Eligible articles and their references were independently assessed by 2 authors. Judgment was based on methodological quality and study results.Our literature search identified 15 studies: 4 studies on amnioinfusion, 1 study on maternal hyperoxygenation, 1 study on maternal repositioning, 1 study on intravenous fluid administration, and 8 studies on tocolysis. Of these 15 research papers, 3 described a randomized controlled trial; all other studies were observational reports or case reports.Little robust evidence to promote a specific intrauterine resuscitation technique is available. Based on our literature search, we support the use of tocolysis and maternal repositioning for fetal distress. We believe the effect of amnioinfusion and maternal hyperoxygenation should be further investigated in properly designed randomized controlled trials to make up the balance between beneficial and potential hazardous effects.

Supplemental oxygen is commonly administered to pregnant women at the time of delivery to prevent fetal hypoxia and acidemia. There is mixed evidence on the utility of this practice.To compare the association of peripartum maternal oxygen administration with room air on umbilical artery (UA) gas measures and neonatal outcomes.Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Scopus, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were searched from February 18 to April 3, 2020. Search terms included labor or obstetric delivery and oxygen therapy and fetal blood or blood gas or acid-base imbalance.Studies were included if they were randomized clinical trials comparing oxygen with room air at the time of scheduled cesarean delivery or labor in patients with singleton, nonanomalous pregnancies. Studies that did not collect paired umbilical cord gas samples or did not report either UA pH or UA Pao2 results were excluded.Data were extracted by 2 independent reviewers. The analysis was stratified by the presence or absence of labor at the time of randomization. Data were pooled using random-effects models.The primary outcome for this review was UA pH. Secondary outcomes included UA pH less than 7.2, UA Pao2, UA base excess, 1- and 5-minute Apgar scores, and neonatal intensive care unit admission.The meta-analysis included 16 randomized clinical trials (n = 1078 oxygen group and n = 974 room air group). There was significant heterogeneity among the studies (I2 = 49.88%; P = .03). Overall, oxygen administration was associated with no significant difference in UA pH (weighted mean difference, 0.00; 95% CI, -0.01 to 0.01). Oxygen use was associated with an increase in UA Pao2 (weighted mean difference, 2.57 mm Hg; 95% CI, 0.80-4.34 mm Hg) but no significant difference in UA base excess, UA pH less than 7.2, Apgar scores, or neonatal intensive care unit admissions. Umbilical artery pH values remained similar between groups after accounting for the risk of bias, type of oxygen delivery device, and fraction of inspired oxygen. After stratifying by the presence or absence of labor, oxygen administration in women undergoing scheduled cesarean delivery was associated with increased UA Pao2 (weighted mean difference, 2.12 mm Hg; 95% CI, 0.09-4.15 mm Hg) and a reduction in the incidence of UA pH less than 7.2 (relative risk, 0.63; 95% CI, 0.43-0.90), but these changes were not noted among those in labor (Pao2: weighted mean difference, 3.60 mm Hg; 95% CI, -0.30 to 7.49 mm Hg; UA pH<7.2: relative risk, 1.34; 95% CI, 0.58-3.11).This systematic review and meta-analysis suggests that studies to date showed no association between maternal oxygen and a clinically relevant improvement in UA pH or other neonatal outcomes.

The physiology of changes in the ST waveform of the fetal electrocardiogram has been elucidated in extensive animal and human observational studies. A combination of heart rate and ST waveform analysis might improve the predictive value of intrapartum monitoring. Our purpose was to compare operative intervention and neonatal outcome in labors monitored by the conventional cardiotocogram with those monitored by ST waveform plus the cardiotocogram.A prospective, randomized clinical trial was performed on 2434 high-risk labors in a district general hospital in Plymouth, England. Statistical analysis was performed by Student t test and chi 2 analysis.There was a 46% reduction (p < 0.001, odds ratio 1.85 [1.35-2.66]) in operative deliveries for "fetal distress" and a trend to less metabolic acidosis (p = 0.09, odds ratio 0.38 [0.13-1.07]) and fewer low 5-minute Apgar scores (p = 0.12, odds ratio 0.62 [0.35-1.08]) in the ST waveform plus cardiotocogram arm.ST waveform analysis discriminates cardiotocogram changes in labor, and the protocol for interpretation is safe. Further randomized studies are warranted.