Clinical application of central electronic monitoring system during labor

Objective To investigate effect of clinical application of central electronic monitoring system(CEMS) for continuous fetal heart monitoring during labor.Methods A total of 5660 pregnant women with≥37 weeks of gestation delivered in our hospital in the period from March,2002 to December,2005(as monitoring group) received central electronic monitoring during labor for continuous fetal heart monitoring.And 4210 pregnant women with same gestational age(as control group)delivered in our hospital in another period from March,1999 to December,2001 were monitored by using intermittent auscultation during labor for fetal heart examination.The rates of fetal distress,neonatal asphyxia,still birth,neonatal death,cesarean section and vaginal operative delivery using forceps or vacuum extractor in the two groups were compared.Results The pregnant women in the monitoring group had a higher fetal distress rate as compared with the control group(P0.05) but had a significantly lower neonatal asphyxia rate(P0.01).Of which,96 neonates suffered from mild neonatal asphyxia(1.70%,χ~2=16.142) and 24 neonates suffered from severe neonatal asphyxia(0.42%,(χ~2=18.919)),and there were significant difference between the two groups(both P0.001).In overall cesarean rate,cesarean rate due to fetal distress,overall use rate of forceps or vacuum extractor during delivery,there were no significant differences between the two groups(all P0.05),while in vaginal operative delivery rate due to suspected fetal distress,there was significant difference between the two groups(P0.01).Conclusion Application of central electronic monitoring for continuous fetal heart monitoring doesn't increase the cesarean section rate but increases vaginal operative delivery rate and decreases the neonatal asphyxia rate.