Low Value of Apnea-test on Fetal Survival in Intrauterine Hypoxia is Universal Indicator for Planned Caesarean Section

Abstract

The review is devoted to the justification of apnea-test on fetal survival for hypoxia in a pregnant woman as a criterion for choosing the type of planned delivery through the natural birth canal or by Cesarean section. It is shown that during physiological childbirth in women, the uterus repeatedly worsens the blood supply to the placenta, which causes intrauterine hypoxia of the fetus at each contraction. This is because during contractions, the uterus squeezes not only the fetal bladder with amniotic fluid and the fetus, but also the placenta, as well as blood vessels that are located inside the uterine wall and through which arterial blood flows to the placenta. Therefore, when giving birth through the natural birth canal, the fetus is forced to repeatedly experience periods of hypoxia. However, the ability of fetuses to survive periods of intrauterine hypoxia in future births today is not taken into account when choosing the type of delivery. It has been shown that apnea-test on fetal survival at hypoxia can increase the accuracy of choosing the planned type of birth resolution. It has been established that if the period of immobility of the fetus during respiratory retention by its mother is less than 10 seconds, then childbirth through the natural birth canal is contraindicated, since this can cause drowning of the fetus in amniotic fluid, asphyxia, encephalopathy and pneumonia of the newborn. Planned Caesarean section can improve the prognosis of childbirth.

Fetal Hypoxia: Why Intrauterine Ventilation of Lungs Seems Like a Bad Idea Today

“…In recent years, the use of the obstetrical Stange test has been proposed for the timely use of Caesarean section [13]. This obstetric innovation is based on the possibility of timely assessment of fetal resistance to intrauterine hypoxia by the duration of fetal immobility period during voluntary maternal apnea [14,15].…”