Foetal Hypoxia—An Anaesthetist's approach to Classification and Prevention

Abstract

Nearly one third of perinatal deaths are due to hypoxia occurring during pregnancy and labour. M any factors contribute to foetal hypoxia and in order to group these into orderly categories a classification of hypoxia, which is familiar to anaesthetists, has been applied to the maternal and foetal circulations. This theoretical approach forms a logical guide to our understanding the cause, prevention and treatment of foetal hypoxia.