Fetal distress, a dangerous condition for the baby in the womb

Pregnancy can be said to be a happy time, but at the same time it is not something that is easy. The reason is, there are certain conditions that can endanger the life of the fetus, one of which is fetal distress (fetal distress).

Fetal distress may be common at the time of delivery, but may also occur in the third trimester of pregnancy. In full, the following is a review of fetal distress (fetal distress) during pregnancy or childbirth.

What is that fetal distress (fetal distress)?

When doctors, midwives, and the medical team see signs that the baby is not doing well during pregnancy or childbirth, this could be fetal distress.

Fetal distress or fetal distress is a condition when the fetus does not get an adequate supply of oxygen during pregnancy or childbirth.

This fetal distress is usually detected by a heartbeat that appears abnormal.

This is because the supply of oxygen that is passed from the mother to the fetus experiences obstacles, which then causes a decrease in the baby's heart rate.

In addition, fetal distress can also make the baby in the womb experience problems with muscle movement and low levels of amniotic fluid.

However, quoting from the American Pregnancy Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) now refers to fetal distress as non-reassuring fetal status.

This means that the fetus is not in a good condition while in the womb.

According to the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, this is because the term fetal distress is often confused with birth asphyxia.

Just like fetal distress, birth asphyxia is also one of the complications during childbirth.

Fetal distress (fetal distress) is a condition that can also be called an alarming fetal status and is quite common.

About one in four births can develop fetal distress.

This usually occurs during normal delivery or cesarean section, but sometimes it can also occur in the third trimester of pregnancy.

Fetal distress can also occur due to the impact of pre-existing pregnancy complications such as preeclampsia.

What are the causesfetal distress (fetal distress)?

Normally, during pregnancy, the mother will usually feel the movement and movement of the fetus from one side to the other.

The movement of the baby will sometimes change, especially nearing the due date of birth (HPL).

However, the frequency or number of movements that he usually does will remain the same or not much different.

Mothers need to worry if the movement of the baby in the womb is not as frequent or even tends to be less from day to day.

This condition can be a sign of a problem with the baby's development to the risk of experiencing it fetal distress.

Several things can be the cause of the baby experiencing fetal distress (fetal distress) are as follows:

The size of the baby tends to be smaller than the gestational age. This usually occurs when the baby is not getting enough oxygen that he needs through the placenta.
The baby's age has exceeded the normal gestational age. This means that the baby has not yet been born even though the gestational age is more than 42 weeks.
Insufficient oxygen levels for the baby.
Delay in fetal growth in utero orintrauterine growth retardation (IUGR).

Various complications during pregnancy can also be risk factors for the condition fetal distress is as follows:

Preeclampsia, which can affect placental function
The mother was 35 years or older at the time of pregnancy
Too much or too little amniotic fluid
Diseases experienced by mothers during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes or high blood pressure
The mother has placental disorders, such as placenta abruption (abruption of the placenta)
Umbilical cord compression, which is a condition when the mother's umbilical cord is compressed so that blood flow from the mother to the fetus is disrupted
Infection of the fetus
Pregnant twins
Have had a stillbirth in a previous pregnancy
Being overweight or obese during pregnancy
Smoke
Have had antepartum (through the vagina) bleeding several times

Of the various risk factors and causes of fetal distress, the mother's age of 35 years or more at pregnancy is one of the things that affects pregnancy.

What are the signs of fetal distress?

It is a joy to feel the baby's movement in your belly.

This can also be a sign that the condition of the baby in the womb is fine, including not experiencing fetal distress so there is no need to worry.

The space that a baby has to move around in the womb is indeed very little and not free.

However, the normal movements of the baby must be felt regularly, frequently, and strong enough.

If you feel there is a change in the baby's movements, there may be something wrong with the condition in the womb.

In fact, changes in the baby's movements can put him at risk for fetal distress.

Getting a good feel for every move your baby makes can be one of the easiest ways to recognize that your baby is healthy and fine.

These can be signs that the baby is not experiencing fetal distress.

In addition, also recognize when the amount of movement of the baby increases closer to the time of birth.

This is because the bigger and more developing the baby, the less space for movement it will have in the mother's womb.

That is why, the baby will continue to move as if looking for more space in there.

Meanwhile, to find out the baby is in a condition fetal distress or not, there really isn't a definite number of moves it will do.

Mothers only need to recognize and get used to feeling their movements every day so that they know when the baby is considered to be experiencing fetal distress.

Signs that the baby is experiencing fetal distress in the womb

Babies who are in good condition in the womb have a stable heart rate and can respond to stimuli with appropriate movements.

Meanwhile, the signs of a baby who is experiencing a condition fetal distress (fetal distress) usually includes the following:

Decreased heart rate
The baby's movements are weakened or even completely immobile

If you feel an unusual change in movement from the baby in the womb even leading to fetal distress, you should immediately contact your midwife or doctor.

It is better if you choose to give birth in the hospital rather than giving birth at home so that you can immediately be given treatment if complications occur.

The doctor may check your baby's heart rate and perform other treatments to check the baby's growth.

If the mother is accompanied by a doula from the time of pregnancy, this birth attendant can continue to accompany the mother until after delivery.

Therefore, make sure that the mother has prepared various preparations for childbirth and childbirth supplies before the D-day of birth arrives.

How to diagnose fetal distress (fetal distress)?

There are several ways that doctors and other medical teams can do to detect the condition fetal distress (fetal distress) are the following:

Examination according to gestational age

Sometimes, the doctor will adjust the test to detect fetal distress according to your gestational age.

Actions a doctor can take to make a diagnosis fetal distress (fetal distress) are as follows:

If the gestational age is less than 24 weeks, and do not feel the movement of the baby. Examinations include heart rate and ultrasound (USG) of the baby.
If the gestational age is between 24-28 weeks and the baby's movements are noticeably changed. A complete examination includes the baby's heart rate, baby's growth, mother's blood pressure, and maternal urine test.
If your pregnancy size tends to be smaller than the normal size at this gestational age. The examination usually includes an ultrasound to determine the baby's development.
If the gestational age is more than 28 weeks. Complete examination, including baby's heart rate, baby's growth, mother's blood pressure, and urine test. The baby's heart rate will also be monitored continuously for approximately 20 minutes.

Check the baby's growth and amniotic fluid

The doctor can also check the possibility of fetal distress using the ultrasound method to determine the baby's growth and the amount of amniotic fluid around it.

Several procedures for examining the condition fetal distress (fetal distress) are as follows:

Your pregnancy size tends to be smaller than the normal size at this gestational age.
The mother has pregnancy complications, such as preeclampsia or gestational diabetes.
The baby's heart rate is normal, but needs further examination.

If the doctor and the medical team feel the need for further examination, the ultrasound method may be applied again.

The results of this examination will later assist the doctor in determining whether the time for the baby's birth needs to be accelerated or not if the baby is in fetal distress.

How to find out fetal distress at delivery?

Approaching and during the delivery process, doctors and medical teams will always monitor the condition of mothers and babies who are suspected of experiencing fetal distress.

One of the most visible signs of childbirth is when the baby's feces or feces are in the broken amniotic fluid.

The amniotic fluid should be clear in color with a hint of pink or yellow coloration.

However, if the color turns brown or green, this is a sign that something is wrong with the baby's amniotic fluid.

In some cases, this condition does not always indicate their existence fetal distress.

It's normal for baby feces in the amniotic fluid when your labor is late than it should be.

Therefore, the doctor will usually perform a method of examination to check the baby's health condition, including whether to make sure it is there or not fetal distress.

Examination can be carried out by intermittent auscultation and electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) orcardiotocography (CTG).

Intermittent auscultation is the process of periodically monitoring for possible fetal distress.

Here, the doctor will place an instrument in the form of a Doppler ultrasound (Sonicaid) or a hearing aid (Pinard stethoscope) on your stomach.

During labor, the doctor and medical team will monitor the baby's condition every 15 minutes during labor contractions.

In fact, fetal distress monitoring will also be carried out every 5 minutes every time the mother has finished implementing the method of pushing during childbirth during contractions.

Meanwhile, electronic fetal monitoring (EFM) is a method that is more appropriate if the mother has certain complications before delivery.

These complications, for example gestational diabetes or the condition of the baby's size, which is smaller than the current gestational age, can lead to fetal distress.

The EFM method can also be used for complications that occur during childbirth, such as high blood pressure and infections.

The existence of certain actions that are carried out before the delivery process is also another reason for using EF, for example administering anesthesia (anesthesia) to speed up labor.

What can be done when experiencing fetal distress?

The presence of baby feces or feces in the amniotic fluid can trigger disturbances in the baby's respiratory tract.

Over time, this condition has the risk of causing irritation of the lung tissue, infection of the respiratory tract, and even obstructing the baby's breathing.

As a result, this puts the baby at risk for the condition fetal distress.

If you feel the baby's movement decreasing or the baby's heart rate decreases and leads to fetal distress (fetal distress), here are some things you can do:

Lie on your left side to reduce pressure on your uterus. This can prevent reduced blood flow to the placenta and your baby.
Trying to calm down and relax.
Drink plenty of water to keep your body hydrated.
Make sure you are getting an adequate supply of oxygen.

The doctor will usually perform a series of tests to confirm the condition fetal distress (fetal distress) in infants.

If the baby is still showing signs of fetal distress, it may be necessary for the baby to be delivered as soon as possible.

Fetal distress usually characterized by reduced fetal movement or very low oxygen levels.

If the signs of childbirth are in the form of a full opening, the mother may be able to deliver vaginally or normally.

However, if this method is not able to solve the fetal emergency condition, your baby may need to be delivered by caesarean section.