FHR Full Form

Fetal heart rates range between 110 to 160 bpm on average. It varies between 5 and 25 bpm. As your baby adjusts to situations in your uterus, the fetal heart rate may alter. A high fetal heart rate could indicate that your kid isn’t breathing properly or something else is wrong.

When you experience a high-risk pregnancy, FHR monitoring is extremely beneficial. If you already have diabetes, pre-diabetes, or high BP, your pregnancy is at risk. It’s also dangerous if your baby isn’t developing or growing normally. FHR monitoring can see how your baby is responding to preterm labor medications. This paper will cover the FHR and its monitoring process. 

What is FHR?

Fetal heart rate, the full form of FHR, denotes a baby’s pulse when in the uterus. It can give you many details about your baby’s health while you’re pregnant. At the 10- to a 12-week prenatal appointment, healthcare providers commonly begin by listening to a baby’s heart rate. Following that, clinicians will usually check it at each next prenatal checkup and throughout labor.

The approach involves listening to and recording your baby’s heartbeat via your stomach with a gadget (abdomen). A Doppler ultrasound instrument is one form of monitor. It’s commonly used to count the baby’s heart rate during prenatal checkups.

Another method involves placing a piece of wire (electrode) on your baby’s scalp. The baby’s wiring passes through your cervix. The monitor is attached to it. Because the movement does not affect this procedure, it produces better results. However, it can always be done if the amniotic sac (the fluid-filled sac covering the baby during pregnancy) has cracked and the cervix opened.

What is a normal Fetal Heart Rate?

Based on the trimesters of pregnancy, the normal FHR changes. Here’s what to expect in general:

• A baby’s heart begins to form from the beginning to around the 5th week of pregnancy. The pulse rate starts slowly during this period and reaches 110 BPM during the sixth week.
• The heart rate increases toward an average of 140 to 170 BPM during the 9th week of pregnancy.
• After week 12, the frequency reduces slightly. The average heart rate for the duration of the pregnancy is 110 to 160 BPM. It can, however, range from 5 to 25 bpm. 
• The fetal heart rate remains between 110 and 160 beats per minute in the last trimester. In the previous ten weeks, though, it has decreased marginally. The closer you go to your due date, the more it moves nearer the low end of this area.
• Due to the baby’s activity level, the fetal heart rate changes day and night. It rises while they’re moving around and falls when they’re sleeping. These modifications are identical to what adults go through when exercising or relaxing.

What is an abnormal Fetal Heart Rate?

Because the fetus is moving around, the fetal heart rate may be outside the normal range. It can also signal a problem with the baby’s health.   When the medical team notices a potential problem, they’ll first try to figure out what’s causing it.

Various tests will be conducted to determine the condition based on the phase of pregnancy. A fetal heart rate can be irregular due to something going on in the mother’s body. The following are some reasons for maternal causes:

• Anxiety
• Levels of blood sugar
• Infection with Fever
• Dehydration
• Medication, caffeine, or nicotine use by the mother
• Red blood cell count is low (anemia)
• Thyroid issues

How to check FHR?

To listen to a fetal heart rate, utilize the following techniques:

Stethoscope: At weeks 20 to 22 of pregnancy, a stethoscope can identify a fetal heartbeat. Set down in a quiet environment and put the chest piece on the tummy while listening through the earpiece. Attach the chest part to the location where you can feel the baby’s back if you know where they are.

A fetoscope is a type of stethoscope used to listen to the fetal heart rate. A Pinard horn was originally known as a fetoscope. It is a trumpet-shaped instrument made of wood or metal that transmits fetal heartbeats to the listener’s ear.

Transvaginal ultrasound: Detecting a baby’s heart rate with a Doppler before weeks 10 to 12. While checking for a fetal heart rate early in pregnancy is uncommon, it may usually be found via a transvaginal ultrasound after week six.

Conclusion

When the child is moving or sleeping, normal changes in fetal heart rate occur. FHR outside of the normal range can suggest fetal discomfort, though this is not always the case. It provides information to your healthcare team so that they can help if necessary.