Fetal oxygen saturation monitoring in labour: An analysis of 118 cases

Fetal oxygen saturation (FSpO(2)) was recorded during labour to determine the relationship between FSpO(2) and indicators of fetal well-being, including umbilical blood gases, xanthine (X), hypoxanthine (Hx) and Apgar scores. This is one of the largest reported series of fetal pulse oximetry, with 118 fetuses monitored for over 329 hours. Mean FSpO(2) for all cases was 46.9% (SD=9.1%). There was no correlation between FSpO(2) during the last 10 minutes of monitoring and arterial pH, Hx or X. A mean FSpO(2) greater than or equal to 30% was associated with a 5 minute Apgar score of greater than or equal to 7 in the majority of cases. One fetus had a mean FSpO(2