How to read CTG paper

During pregnancy, in order to ensure the normal development of the fetus, pregnant women will receive some large and small pregnancy checks. After the inspection, the results are displayed on the production inspection form.

Faced with the dense images and professional words on the birth inspection form, many pregnant women are not very clear about the meaning. But in fact, some data from these birth inspection sheets can tell pregnant women well about the development of the fetus. Studies have shown that the application of fetal heart rate monitoring has greatly reduced the incidence of neonatal mortality and cerebral palsy, especially during pregnancy.

What is fetal heart rate monitoring?

During pregnancy, fetal heart monitoring is to monitor the fetal heartbeat and intrauterine pressure through instruments, understand the fetal heart rate during fetal movement and uterine contraction, and then check the health of the fetus. The fetal heart rate monitoring chart is a monitoring graphic curve formed on paper by recording the instantaneous fetal heart rate change through the signal. As for the fetal heart rate monitoring chart after fetal heart rate monitoring, many pregnant women can't understand what it means. And doctors sometimes explain too professionally, so many pregnant women still don't know much about the condition of the fetus after the examination, so pregnant women still have to learn to read the fetal heart rate monitoring chart by themselves.

How to look at the fetal heart rate monitoring chart? Mainly look at these points:

There are two upper and lower curves on the fetal heart rate monitoring chart. The upper curve represents the fetal heart rate, and the lower curve represents the intrauterine pressure, that is, uterine contractions.

The fetal heart rate monitoring chart mainly looks at these four data:

1) Fetal heart rate baseline

Under normal circumstances, the fetal heart rate of the fetus is 120-160 beats per minute, sometimes higher than 160 beats per minute, but it is also considered normal if it falls down immediately. However, if it continues to be higher than 160 beats per minute or lower than 110 beats per minute, it should be noticed, which means that the fetal heart rate is abnormal, and the fetus may have intrauterine hypoxia.

2) Range of amplitude

The fluctuation of the fetal heart rate is called the amplitude. Although the fetal heart rate fluctuates up and down, if the fluctuation is large, it also indicates that there is an abnormality in the fetus. In general, the normal range of amplitude is 6-25 beats/min.

3) Acceleration and deceleration changes

Another abnormality in fetal heart rate monitoring is the acceleration and deceleration of the fetal heart rate.

Generally, it takes about 20 minutes to perform fetal heart rate monitoring. Within these 20 minutes, the fetal heart rate needs to accelerate more than 3 times, which will be displayed as an upward curve lasting ≥ 15 seconds on the fetal heart rate monitoring chart. At the same time, a downward curve lasting ≥ 15 seconds cannot appear.

4) Changes in uterine contractions

The curve above and below the fetal heart rate monitoring chart is the uterine contraction curve, indicating the pressure in the uterus.

Generally, it will increase when the uterus is contracting, and it will decrease when there is no uterine contraction. Once the uterine contraction curve accelerates or decelerates, it is necessary to remind you that there is a certain accident in the fetus.

Especially in the third trimester of pregnancy, it is very normal for pregnant women to have uterine contractions, but if they slow down instead, then you must pay extra attention.

Preparations for fetal heart rate monitoring:

When some pregnant women are doing fetal heart rate monitoring, they will encounter the situation that the fetus does not move, which will inevitably affect the test results. Therefore, in order to allow the fetus to better cooperate with the examination, pregnant women must find ways to move the fetus.

It's okay to eat something, especially sweets.

Studies have shown that: the fetus is a preference for sweets. After the fetus feels the food, it will naturally be stimulated to move more.

2. The fetus does not move during the fetal heart rate monitoring, it may be asleep, and the fetus can be woken up through exercise.

3. Pregnant women can find out the rules and avoid doing fetal heart rate monitoring during the time when the fetus is easy to sleep, which will cause unnecessary troubles.

After the fetal heart rate monitoring is completed, the doctor will score the condition of the fetus according to the fetal heart rate monitoring chart. If ≤ 4 points, it means fetal hypoxia; 5-7 points means that there is suspicion of hypoxia and further monitoring is needed, and 8-10 points means that the fetus is developing well.

Write at the end:

After the fetal heart rate monitoring is completed, if the result is normal in time, the pregnant woman should not relax, because the fetal heart rate monitoring is periodical, and it can only guarantee that there is no problem during the detection period, and it cannot guarantee that it is normal at other times. Therefore, it is recommended that pregnant women learn to count fetal movements by themselves. After all, this is the most direct way to judge whether the fetus is abnormal.