Fetal Heart Flashcards
What is the purpose of fetal heart monitoring?
To detect insufficient oxygenation at an early stage because heart rate pattern changes in response to oxygenation
What 4 factors is fetal oxygenation dependant upon
Maternal oxygenation
Maternal blood flow
Placental function
Fetal circulation
What is fetal cardiac output controlled by?
Heart rate
Where does the heart beat start?
In the sinoatrial node
What determines the rate of normal heart beat?
Sinoatrial node
Where does the impulses from the sinoatrial node move to?
Atrioventricular node
What nervous system can adjust heart rate?
Autonomic nervous system
What division of the autonomic nervous system increases heart rate
Sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight)
What division of the autonomic nervous system decreases heart rate?
Parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest)
What does good baseline variability on a CTG demonstrate?
A healthy autonomic nervous system
What two types of receptors can influence the autonomic nervous system?
Chemoreceptors
Baroreceptors
Chemoreceptors
Receptors that defect change in blood concentration of certain substances such as oxygen and carbon dioxide
What would the autonomic nervous system response be to a drop in oxygen in the blood?
Chemoreceptors would detect this and stimulate Parasympathetic nervous system to activate adrenaline release and increase in heart rate
Baroreceptor
Receptors that detect changes in arterial blood pressure
How would the autonomic nervous system respond to a rise in BP?
Baroreceptors would detect this and Stimulate parasympathetic nervous system which would decrease heart rate
