Intrauterine resuscitation of the compromised fetus.

The gold standard for assessment of fetal well being in labor is the adequacy of fetal oxygenation using continuous electronic fetal monitoring. Additional biophysical properties of the fetus are increasingly being used to ascertain the health of the intrauterine environment. This article focuses on the detection and management of the compromised fetus. The article describes the history, physiologic basis, and current techniques for fetal monitoring. In addition, it presents the common diagnostic tools used to identify the compromised fetus and available options for the management of fetal intolerance of labor.