Eureka! Institutional Repository

Since 1793, when Bossel reported in his book that the absence of perceptible pulses or reduced fetal movements was associated with possible fetal demise, the importance of having a machine to record and monitor the fetal heart became apparent. With the development of the first commercial cardiotocograph in 1968, the excitement was great for the potential of this new fetal monitoring tool. Thenceforth, many researchers have explored these possibilities and the cardiotocograph's contribution to obstetric care for high- or low-risk pregnancies. This literature review analyzes the usefulness of the cardiotocograph in complicated and uncomplicated pregnancies, according to research of the last decade as well as previous research of great clinical importance. To this end, 244 published scientific articles by researchers from around the world were studied. From this literature review it is concluded that the possibilities of the cardiotocograph are limited, while it does not bring the desired results. Its usefulness in low-risk pregnancies is doubtful, while in high-risk pregnancies it seemed that its combination with ultrasound (biophysical profile) has better results. Also, fetal electrocardiography is a very promising method for conducting fetal well-being. Finally, proper training of health professionals in the physiology of fetal circulation is an important part of the correct interpretation of the cardiotocographic trace.