Poor prognostic value of the basal fetal heart rate as observed during antenatal monitoring.

The basal fetal heart rate, accelerations, decelerations and amplitude and frequency of variation were scored in positive stress tests of 146 and in suspicious recordings of 296 patients. Positive tests scored lower for accelerations, decelerations and amplitude and frequency of variation but not for the basal heart rate. When the outcome was poor, as characterized by low 5-min Apgar score and intrauterine growth retardation, it was reflected by all parameters of the fetal heart rate pattern except for the basal heart rate.