Fetal heart rate

The heart is one of the first to begin its work in the body of a nascent person. His knock can be discerned by ultrasound as early as the 5th week of pregnancy, or at the third week of embryo development. The nature and frequency of palpitation in the fetus can tell a lot about how the baby is developing, everything is good or there are some problems.

How is the fetal heart rate determined?

At each stage of pregnancy, doctors use different ways of assessing the work of the heart:

1. At the earliest possible time, the heartbeat of the embryo will be assisted by a transvaginal ultrasound sensor, in 6-7 weeks of pregnancy it is enough to conduct a routine ultrasound through the anterior abdominal wall.
2. Approximately from 22 weeks the doctor starts to listen to the work of the heart with a stethoscope.
3. At 32 weeks of pregnancy, cardiotocography is done.

Palpitation of the fetus by week - norm

It is believed that the normal palpitation of the fetus is two times higher than that of his future mother. However, this is not entirely true: in the early stages of pregnancy the heart rate of the fetus is constantly changing. So, for example, with a period of 6-8 weeks, the heart beats at a speed of 110-130 beats per minute. The palpitation of the fetus at 9 weeks is 170-190 beats per minute. In the second and third trimesters, the heart beats with the same frequency: at 22 and 33 weeks the fetal heart rate will be 140-160 beats per minute.

Heart rate in children - abnormalities

Unfortunately, in the work of a tiny heart often failures occur, indicating a possible danger to the life of the baby. If in early terms, when the embryo has reached a length of 8 mm, there is no palpitation, then this may indicate a frozen pregnancy. In this case, usually a second ultrasound is prescribed, after which the final diagnosis is made.

Tachycardia, or heart palpitations, in a fetus can talk about intrauterine fetal hypoxia (if the future mother suffers from iron deficiency anemia or is long in a stuffy room). In addition, frequent heartbeat in a child usually occurs during moments of active movements or during physical activity of a future mother.

A weak and muffled heartbeat in the fetus (bradycardia) indicates the following problems:

• prolonged intrauterine hypoxia;
• feto-placental insufficiency;
• pelvic presentation of the fetus;
• many or little water.

Any deviation from the norm is considered by the doctor as a signal about a child's unhappiness and necessarily prescribes an additional examination, on the basis of which he will select an adequate treatment.