FURTHER EXPERIENCE WITH THE FETAL BIOPHYSICAL PROFILE

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 61  (4) , 480-485
Abstract
At Los Angeles County/University of Southern California Medical Center [Los Angeles, California, USA], biophysical profile testing was performed on 186 fetuses within 1 wk of delivery. One component of the biophysical profile is the nonstress test. The other 4 components are fetal parameters observed with real-time ultrasonography: fetal breathing movements, fetal movements, fetal tone and amniotic fluid volume. Clinicians managed the patients on the basis of the nonstress test result and the other biophysical profile results were not reported. Measures of outcome included perinatal mortality, fetal distress in labor, low 5-min Apgar score and birth weight small for gestational age. Results indicate that fetal biophysical parameters other than the response, or lack of response, of the fetal heart rate to fetal movements may have predictive value in assessing the state of fetal health. In the future, real-time ultrasonography may prove to be a reliable adjunct to antepartum electronic fetal heart rate monitoring.

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