Sensors for Fetal Hypoxia and Metabolic Acidosis: A Review
Abstract
This article reviews existing clinical practices and sensor research undertaken to monitor fetal well-being during labour. Current clinical practices that include fetal heart rate monitoring and fetal scalp blood sampling are shown to be either inadequate or time-consuming. Monitoring of lactate in blood is identified as a potential alternative for intrapartum fetal monitoring due to its ability to distinguish between different types of acidosis. A literature review from a medical and technical perspective is presented to identify the current advancements in the field of lactate sensors for this application. It is concluded that a less invasive and a more continuous monitoring device is required to fulfill the clinical needs of intrapartum fetal monitoring. Potential specifications for such a system are also presented in this paper.
- Publication:
-
Sensors
- Pub Date:
- August 2018
- DOI:
- 10.3390/s18082648
- Bibcode:
- 2018Senso..18.2648C
- Keywords:
-
- lactate;
- electrochemical sensing;
- optical sensing;
- lactate oxidase;
- lactate hydrogenase;
- fetal monitoring;
- hypoxia;
- obstetrics;
- fetal blood sampling