Overview
Introduction
Antepartum fetal surveillance is used when a pregnancy has a higher than usual risk of fetal hypoxemia or stillbirth.
Antepartum fetal surveillance is used when a pregnancy has a higher-than-usual risk of fetal hypoxemia or stillbirth. It is a snapshot, not a guarantee of fetal safety for the rest of the pregnancy: a normal result is reassuring at the time of testing, while a concerning result must be interpreted with gestational age, maternal condition, prior results, and the quality of the tracing or ultrasound study. A report of markedly decreased fetal movement changes the priority immediately. The appropriate response is timely formal assessment rather than reassurance from a previous normal test or a routine appointment that is still days away. In Canada, surveillance should be ordered, performed, interpreted, documented, and escalated through the applicable provincial or territorial scope, institutional policy, and local perinatal pathway. SOGC Guideline 441 uses normal, atypical, and abnormal for NST interpretation; reactive and nonreactive remain common US and NCLEX terminology.