Obstetric Care of the Very Premature Fetus

A group of 27 premature fetuses, between 27 and 35 weeks of gestation, were studied in the fetal intensive care unit. Both late deceleration of fetal heart rate and loss of beta to beat variation were associated with significantly lower Apgar scores. Four of 5 of the very premature fetuses who died of asphyxia soon after birth, showed evidence of asphyxia in the fetal heart rate trace before birth. Because of the improved short- and long-term outlook for the liveborn very premature fetus, active obstetric intervention when intrauterine asphyxia is diagnosed may furthther improve survival rate.