Sub partu monitoring of the fetus by cardiotocography and fetal blood analysis.

A retrospective study to determine how well cardiotocogram (CTG) and micro blood analysis (FBA) results correspond to each other was made on 200 deliveries which had been monitored sub partu by these techniques. FBA was performed 306 times. CTG results were analysed according to Hammacher's method and the scores compared with the FBA results. In 40 cases with a normal Hammacher score, a normal FBA-pH value, as expected, was also found. In a total of 266 observations with a CTG score greater than two, there were simultaneously 10 times (scarcely 4%) found when there was a FBA value under 7.20. Of the 200 infants involved, 25 had a cord arterial pH value under 7.20. Ten minutes after birth, all of these infants were doing fine, with an Apgar score of at least seven. Statistically, sub partu CTG analysis according to Hammacher's method is highly sensitive, yet not very specific, when compared to the corresponding FBA-pH value.