Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) Monitoring and Assessment A primary objective of labor management is tracking the FHR to detect changes early, ensure adequate fetal oxygenation, and prevent fetal injury. Initial continuous FHR assessment spans 10 to 20 minutes upon entry.

Baseline variability is a key indicator and is categorized as absent, minimal, moderate (a normal fluctuation of 6 to 25 bpm), or marked. FHR patterns are evaluated in three tiers:

• Category I (Normal): Predictive of normal fetal acid-base status and requires no intervention.
• Category II (Indeterminate): Requires evaluation and continued surveillance.
• Category III (Abnormal): Predictive of abnormal acid-base status and requires immediate intervention. Ess ...