Is continuous electronic fetal monitoring useful for all women in labour?

Electronic fetal monitoring is commonly used during labour to detect fetuses at risk of hypoxia and acidaemia, Interpretation is based on subjective assessment and informed by guidance from the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics and, in the UK, National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. A Cochrane review provides clear evidence that neonatal seizures are less common when labour is monitored continuously rather than with intermittent auscultation. Such seizures, which most commonly result from a lack of blood flow and oxygen to the brain (neonatal or hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy), 3 occur in around 1.8-3.5/1000 live births and are associated with a range of long term motor and cognitive sequelae. These affect not only the function and educational attainment of the child but also their carers and those funding services to support them.