[Fetal reflectance pulse oximetry sub partu. Experiences--prognostic significance and consequences--goals].

Reflectance pulse oximetry is a new method to monitor the fetus during labour in order to get a better assessment of the fetus's condition than by CTG interpretation alone. In this study the method is investigated with regard to its prognostic value concerning fetal outcome and complications possibly due to its application: Increased uterine bleeding, umbilical cord complications, amniotic infection syndrome. Arterial oxygen saturation was continuously recorded during labour in a total of 122 patients with a gestational age between 37 and 42 weeks and correlated to the umbilical cord-pH post partum and, if available, to intrapartum fetal blood gas analysis. 30% seems to be a threshold value below which oxygen saturation should not drop for a longer period of time. A post partum pH < 7.2 can be expected in more than 50% of the cases in which the saturation remains below this value for more than ten minutes. The application of the fetal pulse oximeter sensor did not affect maternal or fetal morbidity.