[Clinical experience of long-distance electronic fetal heart rate monitoring system by telephone].

OBJECTIVE

To explore the value of the long-distance electronic fetal heart rate monitoring system by telephone and explore a new way of self-monitoring at home for pregnant woman.

METHOD

204 high risk pregnant women came to our clinic were enrolled in this study. Complications included pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH), intrauterine growth retardation (IUGR), anemia, diabetes, hemolysis, nephropathy. In the study group, 97 women took the terminal part of the fetal heart rate monitoring system home and were requested to auscultate and count fetal heart rate three times a day, while another 107 cases did the self monitoring by fetal movement counting daily and served as control group. For the study group, whenever woman felt any abnormality of her baby, she could contact the long-distance electronic fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring center in hospital by telephone immediately. The signal of fetal heart beat and fetal movement was converted and analyzed in the electronic FHR monitoring center by computer at the same time. The fetal heart rate curve was printed out, and diagnosis and management could be made. Age, gestational weeks, high risk factors, abnormal non-stress test (NST), Apgar score and birth weight of newborn were analyzed between the experimental and control group retrospectively.

RESULTS

There were no obviously differences in age, gestational weeks, weight of newborn, high risk factors between the 2 groups. The incidence of abnormal NST and Apgar score of newborn were significantly higher in the study group than that in the control group, while the incidence of neonatal asphyxia was significantly lower.

CONCLUSIONS

This study suggested that the long-distance electronic FHR monitoring by telephone was a reliable, sensitive and applicable method of self-monitoring for pregnant woman at home, use of this system could decrease the incidence of fetal distress, brain damage and perinatal mortality, thus improves the quality of perinatal care.