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Baby Heartbeat Monitor

2010 March 31
by biggaz

Baby Heartbeat Monitor

Heart rate monitors are often the transmitters of good news and joy for expectant mothers. Through an external baby monitor system, the mother-to-be can hear the sound of her baby’s heartbeat for the first time. At first, it may be shocking to hear just how fast the unborn child’s heart beats, but the developing baby certainly has a lot going on all the time! Normally, the heart rate should be between 120 to 160 beats per minute. Anything over or under could signal trouble.

A baby heartbeat monitor is available in external and internal types. Using an external baby monitor system during pregnancy will report the baby’s heart rate, measure the duration of contractions, tests for infant stress and evaluate amniotic fluid levels. This type of baby infant monitor may be a stethoscope, two flat elastic sensors or an ultrasound machine. Sometimes the information is heard as a beeping sound, while other times, a chart reading is printed out. Heart monitor readings are a great way to ensure the health of the baby and sense uterine contractions during labor.

External fetal heart rate monitors are used to keep track of the baby’s heart rate, ensure that the baby isn’t stressed out by the labor process, measure contractions and determine whether there is a possibility of pre-term labor. Through this baby breathing monitor, doctors can check the baby’s heart rate while moving and while at rest. They can also see if there is enough oxygen in the placenta. During contraction stress tests, the doctor can then decide if a vaginal or cesarean section delivery method is the safest. The baby’s growth and blood pressure can also be monitored in the same way.

During heart rate monitors testing, women lie on their backs or sides. Sometimes this can be uncomfortable, particularly if labor contractions are taking place, and also because the belts holding the monitors in place are often tight to get a more accurate reading. There are slight risks associated with external and internal digital baby monitors testing. For one, there is an increase in cesarean deliveries during fetal monitoring. Also, there may be a slight risk of infection during internal monitoring as well. However, for many mothers, this is an essential part of pregnancy to ensure the safety of their babies.

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