Cesarean section for fetal distress.

The avoidance of neonatal medical and neurologic sequelae resulting from a compromised pregnancy, labor, or delivery is the goal of all members of the health care team. Correct identification of those patients at risk for fetal distress prior to as well as during labor is most important as a major step in achieving this goal. Correct utilization of various modalities, including ultrasound, continuous heart rate monitoring, and timely fetal scalp pH assessment will greatly improve one's ability to correctly identify the distressed fetus. Management options include immediate delivery and attempts at in-utero resuscitation. It is not possible to give a clear, generally accepted definition of fetal distress. But as a result of the experience and experimental efforts of many investigators, we now have many tools which can be used in identifying the fetus who is stressed, and ideally we can avoid the irreversible damage which results in death or life-long disability.