Fetal Assessment

In high-risk pregnancies, additional testing is often used during the third trimester to evaluate your baby’s health.  Fetal well-being can be assessed in several ways.  In addition to maternal perception of fetal movement (“kick counts”), fetal health can also be evaluated by studying the baby’s heart rate tracing (non-stress test), using ultrasound to observe the baby’s movements and amniotic fluid levels (biophysical profile (BPP)), and viewing the blood flow in the umbilical cord blood and/or your baby’s brain with ultrasound Doppler studies.  The clinical situation will guide when testing should begin and how often it should occur.