[Diagnosis of fetal distress during labor with the aid of the Hammacher cardio-tocographic score and fetal pH determination].

The authors study the value of the Hammacher tocographic scoring system in the diagnosis of fetal distress in labour. This score gives equal value to three components of the fetal heart rate: the base line, transient variations (dips) and fluctuations (oscillations). There is a statistically very significant (p less than 0.001) relationship between the cardio-tocographic score and the fetal pH as has been found in 106 labours with a coefficient of correlation of 0.67. The score can only be carried out usefully when a "beat to beat" to heart rate is registered and when this is not influenced by the administration of drugs to the mother. The score has been demonstrated to be particularly useful in the diagnosis of fetal distress when the membranes are still intact.