(Abstracted from BMJ 2016;355:i6405)
The ever-increasing rate of cesarean delivery may be attributed to a large extent to the extensive use of electronic fetal monitoring (EFM). Initial introduction of EFM was done to enable early identification of fetal asphyxia, thereby preventing mortality or long-term neurological morbidity, particularly cerebral palsy.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD (K.B.N.); Deans and Lyons, Houston, TX (T.P.S.); and Women and Infants’ Hospital of Rhode Island and Brown University, Providence, RI (D.J.R.)
Topics: electronic fetal monitoring, cerebral palsy, cesarean section, neurological morbidity, litigation.
