Nonstress testing is an antepartum evaluation that primarily assesses fetal well‑being by detecting what?

Nonstress testing is an antepartum evaluation that primarily assesses fetal well‑being by detecting what?

• A. Contractions on a fetal monitor.
• B. Accelerations in fetal heart rate in response to fetal movement.
• C. Maternal uterine tone.
• D. Amniotic fluid index.

Answer: (B)

Nonstress testing evaluates fetal well-being by looking for accelerations in the fetal heart rate in response to fetal movement. When the fetus moves, a healthy fetus typically shows brief increases in heart rate; these accelerations indicate intact fetal autonomic nervous system and adequate oxygenation. A reactive NST—having sufficient accelerations within the recording period—suggests the fetus is doing well. If accelerations are absent or insufficient, the test is nonreactive and may lead to Additional testing to further assess well-being. The other items—contractions on the monitor, maternal uterine tone, or amniotic fluid index—are not what the NST measures.

Nonstress testing evaluates fetal well-being by looking for accelerations in the fetal heart rate in response to fetal movement. When the fetus moves, a healthy fetus typically shows brief increases in heart rate; these accelerations indicate intact fetal autonomic nervous system and adequate oxygenation. A reactive NST—having sufficient accelerations within the recording period—suggests the fetus is doing well. If accelerations are absent or insufficient, the test is nonreactive and may lead to Additional testing to further assess well-being. The other items—contractions on the monitor, maternal uterine tone, or amniotic fluid index—are not what the NST measures.