Neonatal scalp abscess following intrapartum fetal monitoring: prospective comparison of two spiral electrodes.

During a six-month period, 929 newborn infants had continuous, direct fetal heart rate monitoring during labor. Of these, 481 were monitored with the Berkeley Bio-Electronics spiral electrode and 448 were monitored with the Corometrics spiral electrode. The over-all incidence of scalp abscess complicating fetal monitoring was 4.5 per cent. In the group monitored with the Berkeley electrode, 25 newborn infants (5.2 per cent) developed a scalp abscess; in the group with the Corometrics electrode, 17 newborn infants (3.8 per cent) developed scalp abscess. The incidence of scalp abscess was not significantly different in the two groups.