Will the fetal heart rate be normal if the fetus is hypoxic? Will the fetus still hiccup if it is hypoxic?

Pregnant women always pay attention to the condition of the fetus. So, will the fetal heart rate be normal if the fetus is hypoxic?

Will the fetal heart rate be normal if the fetus is hypoxic?

1. Fetal heart rate is different from normal

In general, the normal fetal heart rate is regular, ranging from 120 beats/minute to 160 beats/minute. When the pregnant mother is 16-20 weeks pregnant, the average fetal heart rate is 160 beats/minute; when the pregnant mother is 21-30 weeks pregnant, the average fetal heart rate of the fetus is 147 beats/minute; when the pregnant mother is 31-40 weeks pregnant, the average fetal heart rate of the fetus is 139 beats/minute. The fetal heart rate when the fetus is moving is higher than the fetal heart rate when it is quiet. The mother's excessive excitement, tension, and anxiety can easily speed up the fetal heart rate. If the fetal heart rate of the baby is too frequent, that is, higher than 160 beats/minute or the fetal heart rate is too slow, that is, lower than 120 beats/minute, there is a possibility of fetal hypoxia.

Note: Normal fetal heart sounds are strong and powerful, and the normal range of fetal heart rate is 120-160 beats/min, most of which are 130-150/min. When the fetus moves, the fetal heart rate can increase by 10-20 beats/min, and then gradually return to normal. When the fetus is calm, if it is lower or higher than this normal range, it means that the fetus is in distress and is a manifestation of hypoxia.

2. Fetal tachycardia

Abnormal changes in the fetal heart rate are the earliest symptom of fetal distress and are also the most common clinical manifestation. Fetal tachycardia of 160 to 180 beats/min is the initial signal of fetal distress. This stage lasts for a short time. As hypoxia worsens, the fetal heart rate gradually slows down.

Note: Routine fetal heart rate testing in late pregnancy is of certain value in detecting fetal distress. However, there are many factors that can affect the fetal heart rate clinically. The fetal heart rate when the fetus is moving is higher than the fetal heart rate when the fetus is quiet. The mother's excessive excitement, tension, and anxiety can easily increase the fetal heart rate. Therefore, when fetal heart rate auscultation finds an abnormal fetal heart rate, fetal heart monitoring should be performed if conditions permit;

3. Fetal heart rate slows down

As fetal hypoxia worsens, the fetal heart rate begins to slow down gradually to 119-100 beats/min, followed by arrhythmia, more significant bradycardia, fetal heart rate ≤99 beats/min, heart sounds sometimes strong and sometimes weak, and finally the heart rate becomes slower and slower, arrhythmia becomes more serious, heart sounds become gradually low and weak, the fetus is in a dying state, and eventually the heart stops beating and the fetus dies in utero.

Note: When the uterus contracts, the fetal heart rate will slow down due to the temporary disturbance of uterine-placental blood circulation. When the uterine contraction stops, the fetal heart rate will quickly return to normal. Therefore, the fetal heart rate between two uterine contractions should be used as the standard.

What to do if the fetus is hypoxic

1. Oxygen inhalation. If a pregnant woman finds that the fetus is suffering from hypoxia, she should immediately seek medical treatment and supplement oxygen. Oxygen inhalation can have a good therapeutic effect on pregnant women with heart, lung, kidney and other diseases, and can avoid organ failure; oxygen inhalation can also increase the blood oxygen concentration of pregnant women, and bring oxygen to the fetus through the placental blood flow, interrupting the fetal hypoxia process, improving the fetal growth and development environment, and prolonging the fetus's growth time in the mother's body to ensure the smooth development and maturity of the fetus.

2. Maintain the left side lying position. The symptoms of fetal hypoxia can be improved by improving the pregnant woman's body position, generally lying on the left side, to increase the blood supply to the uterus and placenta. Oxygen inhalation can also be used to increase the oxygen content in the mother's blood, thereby improving clinical symptoms. However, if the fetal hypoxia does not improve, you should actively go to the hospital for examination, find out the cause of the fetal hypoxia, and carry out symptomatic treatment.

3. Acute treatment. If the cervix is ​​fully dilated and the presenting part of the fetus has reached 3 cm below the plane of the ischial spines, the fetus should be delivered vaginally as soon as possible. If the cervix has not yet fully dilated and the fetal distress is not serious, oxygen can be given to improve the fetal blood oxygen supply by increasing the maternal blood oxygen content. At the same time, the mother should be asked to lie on her left side and observe for 10 minutes. If the fetal heart rate returns to normal, the observation can be continued. If the fetal heart rate slows abnormally due to excessive uterine contractions caused by the use of oxytocin, the early symptoms of pregnancy should be stopped immediately and the infusion should be continued to observe whether it can return to normal. If the condition is urgent or the above treatment is ineffective, a cesarean section should be performed immediately to end the delivery.

Will the fetus hiccup due to lack of oxygen?

The fetus will not hiccup due to lack of oxygen.

During prenatal examinations, doctors often see or hear paroxysmal, regular beatings in the pregnant woman's abdominal wall. This beating phenomenon generally occurs 15-30 times per minute, each lasting 3-15 minutes, and occurs 3-5 times a day. This phenomenon is actually the fetus hiccups. Fetal hiccups are not an abnormality, but a physiological phenomenon. There is no need to cause tension, let alone medical intervention. Fetal hiccups begin around 28 weeks in the third trimester. Medically, fetal hiccups are called "hiccups." Fetal hiccups only occur when the intrauterine condition is very good. If there is a lack of oxygen, there will be no such movements. Therefore, the fetus will not hiccup if it lacks oxygen.

What does it feel like when a fetus hiccups?

When the fetus hiccups, the expectant mother can feel the regular beating in the abdomen, about 2-3 times, and if she touches the beating place with her hand, she can feel the bounce. The whole hiccup process may last for a few minutes or more than ten minutes, and it may happen in the middle of the night or in the morning.