Intrapartum fetal surveillance

Confidential enquiries into intrapartum morbidity and deaths have shown that the four main contributors to poor perinatal outcomes are - an inability to interpret CTG by the health professionals, a failure to incorporate the overall clinical condition, a failure to communicate or escalate, and delay in taking appropriate action. In this article we discuss three cases, two of which led to adverse perinatal outcomes. The key learning points and risk management issues relevant to the cases are also discussed.