A suspicious or positive result requires further evaluation, i.e., prolonged EFM monitoring or a BPP.
A total of 4 points is not reassuring and requires immediate evaluation by prolonged EFM.
Another problem with the use of the EFM is that practitioners have a tendency to focus on it instead of the laboring woman.
As with any procedure, the potential benefit of EFM must be weighed against the potential risks.
Besides EFM and telemetry, which is usually continuous, there is intermittent monitoring using a hand-held Doppler to assess the FHR.
Besides the risk of an unnecessary cesarean section, other risks posed to the mother by EFM include her immobilization in bed.
Electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) involves the use of an electronic fetal heart rate (FHR) monitor to record the baby's heart rate.
For these and other reasons, the United States Preventive Services Task Force states that there is some evidence that using EFM on low-risk women in labor might not be indicated.
Interestingly, there has not been a reported reduction in perinatal morbidity in the United States with the use of EFM.
It is important to note that the EFM is a screening tool and not diagnostic of any particular disorder.
It was assumed that fetal monitoring would transmit signals of distress, thus, the EFM tracing became a legal document.
The appearance of meconium in the fluid along with a questionable EFM tracing may indicate that a fetus is becoming compromised.
The EFM continuously prints out a record of both the FHR and the duration and frequency of the uterine contractions, so that deviations from normal patterns can be identified.
The NST is performed with an electronic fetal monitor (EFM) that traces the fetal heart rate (FHR) and the presence of any contractions on a monitor strip.
There is a benefit to using EFM in women with complicated labors, such as those induced or augmented with oxytocin, prolonged labors, vaginal birth after having a cesarean section, abnormal presentation, and twin pregnancy.
With the introduction of electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) in the 1970s, doctors had more information for assessing fetal well-being.