During your pregnancy, there will be many moments and interactions with your gynecologist where her words will seem like medical jargon. Fetal distress is one such term used commonly by doctors which is hard to grasp at first. Here is what it means.
What does fetal distress mean?
In simple words, fetal distress means discomfort or problems to the fetus when inside the womb. A doctor uses this term to signify that the baby isn’t coping well during labour or pregnancy. However, if one has had a healthy pregnancy, it is unlikely that the baby becomes distress during labour or any time prior to that. That being said, fetal distress is not an uncommon phenomenon, and there could be various reasons like maternal health, environmental factors, development of pregnancy, etc., which could be a probable cause for the same.
What are the causes of fetal distress?
While the womb is thought to be a haven for a developing baby, here are few reasons that can lead to fetal distress.
Maternal health: Mothers who suffer from high blood pressure or develop preeclampsia during pregnancy have babies who suffer from fetal distress. The reason being high blood pressure compromises the placental functions which hinders oxygen and the nutrition transfer to the baby. Apart from this, conditions like diabetes or anemia also hinder smooth fetal development and can give rise to stress in the fetus.
Size of the baby: Too small or too large size of the fetus both spell trouble. Constant monitoring during pregnancy is important to keep a tab on fetal growth rate to avoid such complications or prepare to dodge one. In case of delayed labour, where labour pains might not set in on time and the pregnancy progresses two weeks beyond the expected due date, it gives the fetus a chance to grow beyond the normal average size leading to fetal distress.
Amount of amniotic fluid: A baby is well-protected and surrounded by the amniotic fluid in the amniotic sac inside the womb. During the course of nine months of the pregnancy, this fluid serves to be a perfect environment for the baby to thrive and develop preparing for the birthing phase. However, too much or too less of the fluid can be a cause of distress for the baby.
Less oxygen supply: This is the most common cause of fetal distress in the womb. Less oxygen supply could be due to a number of reasons like low lying placenta, maternal health and other medical conditions. However, whatever be the reason, it leads to fetal distress in the baby.
Multiple pregnancies: Mothers carrying twins or triplets stand the risk of putting the baby into the danger of developing fetal distress with the progression of the pregnancy.
Maternal age: Maternal age and health are two most common parameters that decide the outcome of a healthy pregnancy. If the mother’s age is beyond 35 years, there is always a chance of fetal distress in the baby when in the womb.
How can one predict fetal distress?
Though it is difficult to detect fetal distress, there are some tell-tale signs that could point to one.
Less fetal movement: Fetal movement is an excellent indicator of the baby’s wellbeing. Less movement in the womb, especially when one is nearing labour can indicate fetal distress. However, one should know that as the baby grows and has less space movement. But if there is reduced movements for too long, the mother wary should go for an immediate check-up.
Meconium in the waters: One factor that indicates that the baby is distressed during labour is if the water (when the water bag breaks) contains poop or meconium.
How is fetal distress monitored?
In case the doctor suspects distress in the baby, constant fetal monitoring is done to ensure safety of the baby to avoid complications. There are two ways in which it is done either by a handheld Doppler or an electronic fetal monitoring device.
This helps determine the heart rate of the fetus that could signify the health status of the baby. In a general scenario, a full-term baby will have a heartbeat of 110-160 per minute. Any lower would indicate distress in the fetus. Mostly a dropping heart rate would be an alarming sign, especially during labour.
What complications can arise in the fetus due to fetal distress?
Fetal distress can be fatal to the baby. It can lead to irritation in the lung tissues of the baby, lead to an infection in the airways to a block in the airways in the worst case scenario. Hence, if a doctor ever mentions about fetal distress in the baby, it is wise to comply with the advice doled out by experts.
Image courtesy: Getty Images
You may also like to read:
- 5 ways to start exercising during pregnancy
- 9 exercise dos and don’ts during pregnancy
- Exercises to avoid during pregnancy
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