On Electronic Fetal Monitoring Revisited

Costs and Benefits of Electronic Fetal Monitoring

“…took exception to Lowe () and with the assertion of Grimes and Piepert () that universal intrapartum EFM has failed to result in improved perinatal outcomes. They asserted that prior studies failing to demonstrate improved outcomes (Alfrevic, Devane, & Gyte, ) are “dated and limited” and pointed to more recent data demonstrating that “The benefits of intrapartal EFM clearly outweigh the benefits of intermittent auscultation (IA)” (Murray, Malmeister, Daniels, & Huelsmann, , p. 391).…”

“…Dr. Murray and colleagues () stated that the purpose of EFM is to “avoid fetal death” by identifying “its precursors” in time to intervene (i.e., deliver operatively). But this is exactly what EFM does least effectively, with high false positives and poor specificity.…”