G. Cummins, J. Kremer, A. Bernassau, Andrew Brown, H. Bridle, H. Schulze, T. Bachmann, Michael Crichton, F. Denison, M. Desmulliez
Sensors, 2018
This article reviews existing clinical practices and sensor research undertaken to monitor fetal well-being during labour. Current clinical practices that include fetal heart rate monitoring and fetal scalp blood sampling are shown to be either inadequate or time-consuming. Monitoring of lactate in blood is identified as a potential alternative for intrapartum fetal monitoring due to its ability to distinguish between different types of acidosis. A literature review from a medical and technical perspective is presented to identify the current advancements in the field of lactate sensors for this application. It is concluded that a less invasive and a more continuous monitoring device is required to fulfill the clinical needs of intrapartum fetal monitoring. Potential specifications for such a system are also presented in this paper.
Cited by 5 publications.
Field of study: Medicine