Electronic Fetal Monitoring, Cerebral Palsy, and Caesarean Section

Assumptions Versus Evidence

Abstract

(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.