What causes a low heart rate in a fetus?
The most common causes of intrapartum bradycardia include poor uterine perfusion, maternal hypotension (e.g. after epidural placement), umbilical cord prolapse or occlusion, rapid fetal descent, tachysystole, placental abruption, or uterine rupture.
Does baby’s heart rate slow in second trimester?
There is also a slowing of the normal fetal heart rate in the last 10 weeks of pregnancy, though the normal fetal heart rate is still about twice the normal adult’s resting heart rate.
Does a low fetal heart rate mean miscarriage?
In fact, studies have found that the chance of a miscarriage increases when the baby’s heart rate is less than 100 beats per minute at 6.2 weeks gestation or less than 120 beats per minute at 6.3-7 weeks.
When does the heart rate drop in the second trimester?
By week fifteen, which is during the very early part of the second trimester, the fetal heart rate will have dropped down to around 140 beats per minute. It was once thought that the fetal heart rate could predict your baby’s gender.
What does it mean when fetal heart rate is low?
Fetal bradycardia. Fetal bradycardia refers to an abnormally low fetal heart rate, a potentially ominous finding. A sustained first trimester heart rate below 100 beats per minute (bpm) is generally considered bradycardic. The average fetal heart rate changes during pregnancy, however, and some consider the lower limit of normal at 2:
What should fetal heart rate be in first trimester?
Fetal heart rate in the first and second trimester Dr Matt A. Morgan ◉ and Dr Yuranga Weerakkody ◉ et al. A normal fetal heart rate (FHR) usually ranges from 120 to 160 beats per minute (bpm) in the in utero period.
Is it normal for a baby’s heart to beat irregularly during pregnancy?
Also, arrhythmia may, at some point in development, be normal. During the second trimester, the baby’s heart may begin to beat irregularly as the electrical pathways of the heart mature. This is natural, and not a cause for alarm unless the irregularity lasts for a considerable period of time.