Renewed warnings about home fetal heart monitors

(taken from Midwives Magazine for information and discussion)

Doctors are reiterating their warning about the limitations of home fetal heart monitors after another case was highlighted in the British Medical Journal.

The renewed warnings come as the authors Abhijoy Chakladar and Hazel Adams from the Princess Royal Hospital in Haywards Heath, said that a mother misread the reduction in her unborn baby’s movements through the home monitor readings, delaying an urgent hospital ultrasound scan, which found that the baby had died.

The death, which according to the authors might have been unavoidable, was not presented to the professionals as quickly as it might have been had the home monitor not been used.

In untrained hands the analysis of the fetal heart rate is more likely to be mistaken for blood flow through the placenta or the mother’s own pulse is often heard.

The RCM’s practice and standards development advisor Mervi Jokinen agreed that it is very easy to misinterpret what these devices are showing.  She said: ‘I am very concerned because it could give false reassurance to women about the health of their unborn child. They may also push women the other way, thinking that something is wrong if they can’t hear the fetal heartbeat when using them, and cause them undue stress.’

She continued: ‘Companies who make and sell these machines should make it explicitly clear in their advertising that these are not medical devices and should not replace in any way, the advice of a trained and skilled medical professional.’

Reference
Chakladar A, Adams H. (2009) Dangers of listening to the fetal heart at home. BMJ 339: