Minor fetal hypoxia. Causes of symptoms and treatment of oxygen starvation of the fetus during pregnancy. Fetal hypoxia: signs

During the gestation period, the child is not able to breathe on its own. The lungs are not yet fully formed and filled with fluid, so oxygen, like nutrition, comes through the placenta.

What is fetal hypoxia during pregnancy?

Fetal hypoxia during pregnancy is a lack of oxygen that occurs due to various pathological processes.

Hypoxia in the fetus during pregnancy occurs as a result of prolonged lack oxygen. In the early stages, pathology can cause delayed development, since it is during this period that all the main internal organs are formed. In the later stages, it negatively affects the central nervous system of the embryo.

As a result oxygen starvation, the baby's body begins to compensate for the lack of its own resources, its heart rate rises to 160 beats / min to improve blood flow. If the process is not diagnosed in a timely manner, then a developmental delay is formed, both physical and mental.

In medical practice, chronic and sharp look pathologies that differ in the duration of exposure and the period of occurrence.

Chronic hypoxia of the fetus during pregnancy is caused by the consequences, expressed in underdevelopment internal organs and poor adaptation in the postpartum period.

Acute pathology occurs during labor activity and endanger the life of the baby. Prolonged childbirth, with infection or open bleeding, causes almost suffocation (asphyxia) and requires emergency medical intervention.

Fetal hypoxia during pregnancy: signs, symptoms and consequences

It is quite difficult to learn about the formation of hypoxia in the early stages. Only a doctor will be able to identify and suspect a blood test, where the results will show signs of anemia (lack of hemoglobin).

You can independently recognize the symptoms only after 16-18 weeks of intrauterine development, when the baby begins to move. In the later stages, the lack of oxygen is determined by reduced motor activity. Feelings of almost imperceptible stirring and rare tremors of the baby are formed.

To diagnose the pathological process, more accurately, you can use special studies:

  1. Ultrasound helps to determine developmental delay, while measuring the height, weight and volume of the child. To understand the functioning of the placenta, the walls of the embryonic organ are measured.
  2. Dopplerometry allows you to notice circulatory disorders in uterine arteries and placenta, indicating inadequate oxygen delivery. Often there is bradycardia (slow heartbeat), so the diagnosis becomes clear from the heart rate.
After 30 weeks, cardiotocography is used for diagnostic purposes. Among laboratory examinations amnioscopy is prescribed, as well as hormonal and biochemical tests.

Symptoms and consequences depend on the severity. With prolonged hypoxia, tissue respiration is disturbed, vital organs are not able to develop normally. There is a risk of intrauterine death of the embryo, suffocation and serious birth injuries.

Reasons for the formation

The reasons can be very diverse. The main factor that causes pathology is anemia - a decrease in hemoglobin in the blood and the inability to deliver the required amount of oxygen to the child.

Other reasons include:

  • respiratory, cardiovascular or blood diseases in the mother;
  • Rh blood conflict;
  • infections and viruses in a woman's body;
  • heredity;
  • clamping or entanglement of the umbilical cord;
  • prolonged toxicosis;
  • conception of more than one fetus;
  • premature detachment and aging of the placenta.
Polyhydramnios also causes difficulties in metabolism and requires timely treatment.

How to avoid fetal hypoxia during pregnancy?

In order to avoid the disease, it is necessary to prepare in advance for future conception. Eliminate bad habits, adjust the diet and get tested for infectious diseases.

Timely control and competent management of intrauterine development will help prevent the formation of pathology. Prevention is early detection and complex therapy, which is aimed at normalizing the placental circulation.

Helps prevent disease bed rest, positive emotions and drugs that improve blood circulation. Special gymnastics with breathing exercises may be recommended to reduce the tone of the uterus and increase metabolism.

How and how to treat fetal hypoxia during pregnancy

Before starting treatment, doctors find out the fundamental factor that led to the disease, and starting from the causes and the diagnosis, complex therapy is prescribed.

Treatment of fetal hypoxia during pregnancy involves the use of drugs that help:

  1. expand the vessels - eufillin, no-shpa;
  2. reduce the tone of the uterus - ginipral, magne B6;
  3. increase the functionality of blood circulation - trental, actovegin;
  4. normalization of metabolism - amino acids and proteins;
  5. stabilization of cell permeability - Essentiale, hofitol;
  6. increased protective functions - antihypoxants, neuroprotectors.
To prevent the formation of blood clots and normalize the immune system of a woman, chimes are often prescribed. Preparations are used only taking into account individual characteristics, which have no contraindications and negative consequences.

Fighting the disease in the third trimester, after the 28th week, when the baby's condition is rapidly deteriorating, does not make sense. In such a situation, doctors are faced with the question of whether to do a caesarean section? Since only such a method, urgent delivery, can save the life of a child.

In the process of labor activity, CTG is used if hypoxia was observed during gestation for a long period. Thus, constant control over the condition of the fetus is ensured, and the newborn is born under the supervision of specialists.

Although this condition is well studied, and methods of therapy have long been developed, fetal hypoxia remains the cause of many diseases in a newborn baby. Parents should understand what this process is and what actions should be taken to protect the baby from trouble.

While in the womb, the baby is not able to breathe on its own. The organs and systems of the baby are only developing, their functions are becoming established. The lungs are immature, and the airways are filled with fluid. The fetus receives the necessary oxygen through the placenta. It is this organ that ensures the flow of priceless gas into the body of the crumbs. If there is not enough oxygen, then they talk about fetal hypoxia.

Although the necessary gas and nutrients are carried from the mother to the fetus through the circulatory system, their blood does not mix. The placenta protects the baby from harmful substances entering the body. But unfortunately, medications, alcohol, narcotic substances and viruses easily overcome the obstacle.

Intrauterine fetal hypoxia is not isolated as a separate disease, but indicates a state of oxygen deficiency in the baby. This problem can be caused by changes in the placenta, the body of the mother or child, resulting in adverse consequences.

Causes of intrauterine fetal hypoxia:

  1. Mother's illnesses. In some situations, the woman's body does not allow to give the baby the necessary oxygen. With anemia, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, pathology of the kidneys and respiratory system the risk of developing oxygen starvation of the embryo increases. Toxicosis in a pregnant woman adversely affects the health of crumbs, diabetes, mother's bad habits.
  2. Violations in the placenta-fetus. Pathologies of the placenta and umbilical cord, circulatory disorders with the threat of termination of pregnancy or overmaturity, anomalies in labor - inevitably affect the health of the child.
  3. Causes related to the fetus. When a baby is infected in utero, the risk of developing hypoxic conditions increases. Unfavorable factors also include congenital anomalies, hemolytic disease of the fetus, multiple, tight entanglement umbilical cord of the child's neck, multiple pregnancy. Also, complications that arose during childbirth often lead to oxygen starvation of the fetus.

The manifestations and severity of symptoms of hypoxia largely depend on the course and time of occurrence of the pathological condition. Therefore, clinicians share 2 forms of hypoxia:

  1. Acute fetal hypoxia. This violation develops rapidly, usually during labor, when the baby passes through the birth canal. For example, with rapid or prolonged labor, when the loops of the umbilical cord fall out or the head is delayed in the birth canal of a woman, there is an acute violation of the flow of blood through the umbilical artery. The baby does not receive gas and experiences a sharp oxygen starvation. During pregnancy, acute hypoxia often occurs against the background of placental abruption and can lead to premature birth or require an emergency caesarean section.
  2. Chronic fetal hypoxia. Oxygen starvation can develop gradually, the baby does not receive the necessary gas for a long time. The cause of chronic intrauterine hypoxia is most often pathologies of pregnancy, lack of proper treatment, and chronic diseases of the mother. Often this condition develops in women who ignore visiting the antenatal clinic.

At ultrasound examination a pregnant doctor may notice that the fetus lags behind its "peers" in terms of physical parameters looks younger than gestational age. If hypoxia developed in the second half of pregnancy, then the mass of these guys does not correspond to growth, hypotrophy occurs. Newborns are more prone to the development of diseases, vegetative disorders.

Nervous tissue is very sensitive to oxygen deficiency, it is she who first suffers from hypoxia. Already in the period of 6-11 weeks, oxygen starvation of the child's nerve cells leads to a delay in the development of the brain. The next organs suffering from hypoxia are the kidneys, heart, intestines of the unborn child.

The first sign of hypoxia is considered to be a change in the motor activity of the fetus. The baby becomes short of oxygen, in response to a low concentration of gas, the motor centers in the brain are excited, the child actively moves.

A woman should be alerted by the increased movement of the baby, which does not go away even at rest, in the absence of stress. During the examination, the doctor detects an increase in heart rate in the fetus more than 160 beats per minute.

Although the unborn child makes the first movements already at 7-8 weeks of pregnancy, a woman notices movements at 16-18 weeks obstetric period. Starting from the 24th week of gestation, babies actively "communicate with mothers", making about 10 shocks per hour.

If the disease was not detected in early stages the child's condition worsens. There is a serious lack of oxygen, which leads to a decrease in the activity of the baby. The forces of the crumbs are depleted, and the movements are reduced. During the examination, the doctor notices a decrease in the heart rate of the fetus.

A woman is obliged to consult a doctor if she notices a weakening or lack of physical activity for 12 hours. A formidable sign is a sharp subsidence of the child after prolonged excessive movements.

Assessment of the condition of the fetus should be comprehensive, include several methods that complement each other:

The study is carried out every time a woman visits a antenatal clinic, starting from 18-20 weeks of pregnancy, when it becomes possible to dry the fetal heart. To do this, the obstetrician-gynecologist uses a stethoscope - a device that is a tube with extensions in the form of a funnel at both ends. The doctor applies the wide part of the device to the mother's stomach in the area of ​​​​the best listening to the fetal heart.

With the help of an obstetric stethoscope, you can assess the heart rate, rhythm and sonority of tones. Manipulations are also resorted to during childbirth to assess the reaction of the fetus to uterine contraction - a contraction.

Due to its simplicity and low cost, the method is widely used and has no contraindications, but the accuracy of the study is inferior to instrumental ones. In addition, the baby's heartbeat cannot be heard during a contraction, and the error in counting heart contractions reaches 10-15 beats.

  1. Cardiotocography (CTG).

The method has proven itself in the diagnosis of fetal hypoxic conditions. The essence of the study is to register the electronic activity of the heartbeats of the unborn child. To do this, a special sensor is attached to the bare belly of a pregnant woman, which registers the heartbeat of the fetus and uterine contractions. The data obtained during the examination are recorded on a sheet of paper in the form of curves.

Then experienced specialist interprets the results of cardiotocography. Modern appliances have an automatic decoding function that helps the doctor make an accurate diagnosis.

The following CTG parameters are subject to assessment:

  • basal rhythm - average frequency heart rate, which is normally 110 - 160 beats per minute;
  • amplitude - a violation of the regularity of contraction of the muscles of the heart, fluctuating normally from 5 to 30 beats / min;
  • decelerations - periods of a decrease in fetal heartbeats, repeated episodes of which may indicate a serious oxygen starvation in a child;
  • acceleration - episodes of increased heart rate that occur when the uterus contracts or increases the motor activity of the fetus, and does not exceed 3 in a quarter of an hour.
  1. Ultrasound procedure.

The method is absolutely safe and highly informative, therefore, it should be carried out as a screening examination for all women. Usually, ultrasound is performed three times: at 11-13 weeks, 20-21 and 30-34 weeks.

In addition, the doctor may prescribe an unscheduled study, if indicated. The essence of the method is to reflect the ultrasonic waves sent by the sensor from the organ under study. These signals are recorded and reproduced on the instrument monitor.

With the help of ultrasound, the doctor determines the state of health of the baby, proper development organs, motor activity of the crumbs. Great value has an assessment of the state of the placenta, its size, location, thickness and degree of maturation.

To determine fetal hypoxia, ultrasound is supplemented by dopplerometry, which records the movement of blood in the vessels. Modern devices for ultrasound examination are equipped with a Doppler function.

For each period of pregnancy, a certain method for diagnosing hypoxia is suitable. In the first trimester, ultrasound is most informative, dopplerometry is indicative at 18-26 weeks of pregnancy, and the determination of the fetal bioprofile from the 26th week. The method of cardiotocography is most informative after the fetus reaches 30 weeks of gestation.

Assessment of the biophysical profile of the fetus allows you to comprehensively assess the health of the crumbs and identify hypoxia. For this, ultrasound data and the results of a non-stress CTG test, assessment of the frequency of accelerations are used.

During the study, 6 parameters are determined:

  • respiratory movements of the fetus;
  • motor activity of the crumbs;
  • the number of accelerations;
  • volume of amniotic fluid;
  • fetal muscle tone;
  • maturity of the placenta.

Each indicator is evaluated from 0 to 2 points, which are then summed up. A result of more than 8 points is considered normal, and less than 4 indicates severe hypoxia.

How the lack of oxygen will affect the health and extrauterine life of the baby depends on the severity of hypoxia and the duration of pregnancy. Oxygen starvation in the first third of pregnancy leads to developmental anomalies. Growth and physical development may be retarded nervous system and a decrease in the ability to adapt crumbs after birth.

Under the influence of a lack of oxygen, metabolic processes in the embryo change. Increases blood circulation in the brain, by reducing blood flow in the lungs, intestines, kidneys. The resulting hypoxia of the intestine leads to relaxation of the sphincter and the entry of original feces into amniotic fluid. Dirty, meconium water can enter the child's respiratory tract, leading to respiratory failure, pneumonia.

Although the fetus is quite sensitive to hypoxia, nature has rewarded the unborn child with adaptive mechanisms that help the baby cope with oxygen starvation. The fetal hemoglobin contained in red blood cells differs from that of adults and is more efficient at capturing and retaining oxygen. And a high heart rate contributes to a more efficient distribution of precious gas.

Minor hypoxia does not cause negative consequences in the further development of the child. While severe oxygen deficiency is more dangerous, it leads to deep damage to organs with the development of necrosis in them. Therefore, the consequences of hypoxia vary from insignificant functional disorders to deep somatic disorders.

Possible consequences acute hypoxia fetus:

  • childbirth ahead of time;
  • damage to the nervous system of the child, cerebral palsy;
  • antenatal fetal death;
  • asphyxia, syndrome respiratory disorders, pneumonia;
  • intestinal necrosis.

Consequences of chronic intrauterine fetal hypoxia:

  • developmental delay, low birth weight and height;
  • anemia of the newborn;
  • high susceptibility to infections;
  • the inability of the crumbs to maintain a normal temperature;
  • neurological disorders.

If a lack of oxygen is detected, a woman is hospitalized in an obstetric and gynecological hospital, where they are examined and treated. An important link in the treatment of hypoxia is to identify the cause that caused the pathology.

In case of detection chronic hypoxia appointed:

  1. Bed rest. A woman who is in a hospital must strictly comply with the regimen prescribed by the doctor. This will help improve blood circulation and reduce the increased tone of the uterus.
  2. Oxygen therapy. Effective in the treatment of hypoxia is the inhalation of oxygen or an oxygen-air mixture in the form of inhalations.
  3. Drugs that reduce uterine contractility. To prevent miscarriage and prevent premature birth, a woman is prescribed drugs with antispasmodic activity: Papaverine, No-shpa, Ginipral, Brikanil.
  4. Drugs affecting the rheological properties of blood. To improve blood delivery through the placenta by expanding blood vessels, as well as reducing its viscosity, the doctor may prescribe Reopoliglyukin, Curantil, Trental.
  5. Means to improve metabolic processes in the fetus. This group of substances includes glucose, vitamins C, E, group B, "Calcium gluconate", "Glutamic acid".
  6. Fight against metabolic acidosis. Under the control of acid-base balance, it is possible to infuse "Sodium bicarbonate" of various concentrations.

The volume and duration of treatment for fetal hypoxia are determined individually in each case by a gynecologist.

Severe hypoxia is an indication for emergency delivery without waiting for the due date of delivery. In this case, a caesarean section is performed. A child who has undergone acute hypoxia in childbirth may require resuscitation to restore vital functions.

It is impossible to completely eliminate the risk of hypoxia, but future mother should know what activities highly likely help keep your child healthy

  1. Planning for pregnancy. The decision to have a child should be approached responsibly. Parents should undergo preconception training, comprehensive examinations, and treatment of chronic diseases and infections. This will protect the baby from intrauterine infection and preserve the health of the little one.
  2. Rejection bad habits. It has been proven that children from mothers suffering from different types dependence, are subject to chronic hypoxia throughout pregnancy. Babies are at risk for the development of diseases in newborns, have a developmental delay. Even passive inhalation of tobacco smoke leads to vasospasm of the placenta and the development of hypoxia in the fetus.
  3. Daily walks. At normal course Pregnancy woman should receive daily moderate physical activity. Quiet walks, which are best done in the park or in nature, have a beneficial effect on the health of the mother and child.
  4. Proper nutrition. A pregnant woman should pay attention to her daily diet. It is during this period that it is very important to eat healthy food rich in all the necessary nutrients.
  5. Medical help. A woman is required to be registered for pregnancy and undergo examinations on time. Modern methods diagnostics are absolutely harmless to the child and help to identify the disease in the early stages. Timely and adequate therapy of diseases of a pregnant woman will help to avoid the development of hypoxia. At the first sign of a change in the condition of the fetus, a woman should seek help from a specialist.

Conclusion

Pregnancy is a wonderful and happy period in the life of a future mother. It is at this time that a woman should give increased attention your well-being and take care of the health of the baby.

Every year more and more women hear the diagnosis of intrauterine fetal hypoxia, since the causes of the pathological condition are diverse and include both the health of the pregnant woman and environmental conditions.

The expectant mother should be aware of the full degree of responsibility for the health of the baby. A woman should reconsider her lifestyle, have more rest and seek specialized help in time. Proper management of pregnancy and childbirth, adequate treatment of somatic diseases, significantly increase the chances of avoiding fetal hypoxia and its consequences.

Fetal hypoxia is a complex of changes in the body of the fetus due to insufficient oxygen supply. This is not an independent disease, but a consequence of various pathological processes occurring in the body of the mother, fetus and placenta.

Oxygen deficiency leads to disruption of the body, changes in metabolic processes. At different stages of pregnancy, oxygen deficiency has different consequences for the fetus. In the early stages, it leads to the appearance of developmental anomalies, slowing down the development of the embryo. AT late dates In pregnancy, oxygen starvation leads to fetal growth retardation, damage to its central nervous system, and reduces the adaptive capacity of the newborn.

I must say that the body of the fetus has good compensatory abilities necessary to maintain the desired level of blood flow. This is achieved by increasing the heart rate to 150-160 beats per minute, special structure fetal (fetal) hemoglobin, which is better than adult hemoglobin at capturing and retaining oxygen. A decrease in blood oxygen saturation leads to a change in metabolic processes in the fetus. All his organs and systems begin to work with greater activity. The fetus seeks to provide blood to vital organs (brain, kidneys, heart), while intestinal hypoxia occurs, and, consequently, the release of meconium (original feces). But, unfortunately, the possibilities of these compensatory mechanisms have a limit, and with prolonged adverse effects, the protection weakens. And above all, the nervous system suffers, because. It is now generally accepted that one of the most oxygen-dependent, and therefore most sensitive to the damaging effects of hypoxia, is nervous tissue, which becomes the initial object of the pathological influence of oxygen deficiency.

Hypoxia delays the maturation of brain structures in the embryo from 6-11 weeks of development, causes disturbances in the structure and functioning of blood vessels, and slows down the maturation of the blood-brain barrier. This barrier is defense mechanism the central nervous system - the capillary system of the brain, and any damage to it endangers the normal functioning of the brain.

Minor hypoxia usually does not affect the health of the unborn child. Severe hypoxia is accompanied by ischemia (areas with insufficient blood flow) and necrosis (areas of tissue destruction) in various bodies leading to irreversible consequences. In the postpartum period, neurological disorders in a child born from a pregnancy that proceeded under conditions of hypoxia vary in a wide range: from functional disorders to severe disorders of mental development.

Why does fetal hypoxia occur?

Factors contributing to the development of hypoxia are numerous. First of all, it is the disease of the mother. Among them, anemia is a decrease in the total amount of hemoglobin. With anemia, the main function of red blood cells is disrupted - the delivery of oxygen to the tissues of the body.

In the presence of acquired and congenital heart defects, myocardial diseases, chronic lung diseases in conditions of increased load on these organs, pregnant women most often experience circulatory failure, in which microcirculation in the tissues is disturbed, as a result of which hypoxia and disturbances in the work of the “mother - mother” system gradually develop. placenta - fetus.

Diseases of the respiratory system ( bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, etc.) also adversely affect the course of pregnancy. They cause respiratory failure, which results in hypoxia of the organs and tissues of the woman and, accordingly, the fetus. Kidney disease, diabetes can also cause impaired oxygen supply to the fetus.

Other causes of hypoxia are violations of the fetal-placental blood flow, which occurs when pregnancy is overdue, the threat of premature birth, placental and umbilical cord pathology, labor anomalies, and other complications of pregnancy and childbirth.

Fetal diseases also lead to hypoxia: hemolytic disease (a condition that occurs when the blood type of the fetus and mother are incompatible), intrauterine infection, birth defects development, prolonged compression of the head during childbirth. As you can see, there are enough reasons.

Diagnosis of fetal hypoxia

You can independently suspect fetal hypoxia by observing changes in its motor activity. AT initial stage there is restless behavior of the fetus, increased and increased perturbations. With prolonged or progressive hypoxia, fetal movements are weakened. This requires immediate medical attention and application additional methods studies such as cardiotocography (CTG) and Doppler, amniotic fluid examination, laboratory diagnostics. A sign of hypoxia is fetal growth retardation.

Cardiotocography is one of the modern highly informative methods for diagnosing the intrauterine state of the fetus during pregnancy using a heart monitor. The condition is assessed based on the analysis of the fetal heart rate and its motor activity. It is especially important to conduct such a study in childbirth. While doing this study two graphs are obtained: one reflects the heart rate of the fetus, the other is its motor activity. At the same time, uterine contractions are recorded. By evaluating how the heartbeat changes depending on the movements or contractions, one can judge the condition of the baby. This study is carried out in the third trimester of pregnancy for a period of 32 weeks.

In childbirth, the main criterion for fetal hypoxia is a violation of its cardiac activity, therefore, cardiomonitoring of the fetus is widely used in childbirth.

Dopplerometry is one of the ultrasound methods that allows you to study the nature and speed of blood flow in the vessels of the placenta and umbilical cord, the violation of which leads to the development of hypoxia.

Ultrasound examination (ultrasound) is also important for the diagnosis of hypoxia. Because the intrauterine development fetus from the moment of implantation - the introduction of the fetal egg into the uterine mucosa - until childbirth proceeds in the aquatic environment ( amniotic fluid), of great importance for the diagnosis pathological conditions fetus is assigned to the composition, volume and color of amniotic fluid. Almost all of these parameters can be assessed using ultrasound.

Normally, amniotic fluid remains homogeneous for a long time. Starting around the 28th week in the amniotic fluid on ultrasound, you can see fine suspension, which is not a sign of impaired fetal life. Small particles represent desquamated epithelium skin and elements of cheese-like lubrication of the fetus - at the end of the fifth month of pregnancy (20 weeks) sebaceous glands they begin to secrete a fatty substance, which mixes with the scales of the epidermis and forms a cheese-like lubricant that covers the skin of the fetus with a thin layer. This lubricant protects the skin of the fetus from the damaging effects of amniotic fluid. However, ultrasound does not fully allow assessing the state and composition of amniotic fluid, characteristic of hypoxia.

Pronounced changes in the volume of amniotic fluid are of practical importance. Both pronounced oligohydramnios and polyhydramnios are signs of trouble.

Amnioscopy (amnio in Greek " fetal membrane”, and scopeo - “examine”) - examination of the lower pole of the fetal bladder using an endoscopic device inserted into the cervical canal. Amnioscopy is used to assess the condition of the fetus in cases of suspected pregnancy prolongation, chronic or acute fetal hypoxia, incompatibility in the blood type of the mother and fetus, aggravated obstetric history(miscarriage, spontaneous miscarriages, severe gestosis, premature birth). By color, transparency, the amount of amniotic fluid, the nature of the flakes of the original lubricant, the presence of meconium and some other signs, the condition of the fetus is assessed. Amnioscopy has a number of contraindications, such as bloody issues from the genital tract (suspected placenta previa - a condition in which the placenta blocks the exit from the uterus), colpitis, cervicitis and other infectious processes of the genital tract, the threat of abortion. Complications during amnioscopy (premature rupture of amniotic fluid and the development of labor, bleeding, infection) are extremely rare.

The color of the amniotic fluid, which also serves as an indicator of the state of the fetus in the womb, is assessed, as a rule, in the first stage of labor, after the amniotic fluid has been discharged. During a normal pregnancy, the water is colorless and almost transparent. Coloring of amniotic fluid green color meconium (the so-called original stool) is one of the signs of fetal oxygen deficiency, i.e. his hypoxia.

Treatment of fetal hypoxia

If chronic fetal hypoxia is suspected (toxicosis of pregnant women, extragenital diseases women, etc.) a pregnant woman is hospitalized or sent to a diagnostic center to study the condition of the fetus, find out the cause of hypoxia. Measures aimed at improving uteroplacental circulation and normalizing the metabolic processes of the fetus can be carried out on an outpatient basis.

In the absence of contraindications, pregnant women may be prescribed aqua gymnastics in combination with a complex breathing exercises. During breathing exercises, the tone of the uterus and the whole organism is relaxed, the process of oxygen absorption by the fetus is enhanced. Connecting a set of aqua gymnastics exercises contributes to an even greater decrease in the tone of the uterus, an increase in metabolic processes in the body of the mother and fetus, and the assimilation of oxygen by the fetus. As a result of all activities, there is a decrease in signs of intrauterine fetal hypoxia.

For pregnant women with chronic intrauterine fetal hypoxia, rest is important. Bed rest improves the blood supply to the uterus. It is important to treat the underlying disease that led to the development of hypoxia. Also, therapy is carried out aimed at improving the supply of oxygen to the fetus, the normalization of metabolic processes. This therapy should be complex. With the help of medications, they are trying to achieve:

  • expansion of the vessels of the uterine and fetal placental parts of the placenta (EUFISHIN, NO-ShPA);
  • relaxation of the muscles of the uterus (GINIPRAL, MAGNE-Wb);
  • in the normalization of the rheological properties of blood in the system "mother - placenta - fetus" (TRENTAL, ACTOVEGIN).

In addition, drugs are needed that normalize metabolic processes (mixtures of amino acids, proteins), contribute to the stabilization of the structural and functional properties of cell membranes (ESSENTIALE, HOFITOL), increase the resistance of the brain and fetal tissues to hypoxia (aptihypoxants, neuroprotectors).

In the absence of the effect of complex therapy, the deterioration of the fetus with a gestational age of more than 28 weeks, the issue of emergency delivery by caesarean section is decided.

If the pregnancy proceeded under conditions of chronic intrauterine fetal hypoxia, childbirth is carried out with mandatory cardiomonitoring of the fetus, because. this increases the possibility of diagnosing acute hypoxia and makes it possible to rationally resolve the issue of further tactics of labor management.