[The clinical significance of accelerations in intrapartum fetal heart rate monitoring (author's transl)].

: Fetuses failing to exhibit accelerations in antepartum fetal heart rate (FHR) testing are considered to be at risk. However, until now the prognostic value of intrapartum FHR-accelerations is not known. The occurrence or absence of accelerations during the last 30 minutes preceding delivery was compared in 812 intrapartum FHR-records with FHR-score (3), umbilical cord artery pH, one and five minute Apgar score values. When accelerations were absent during the last 30 minutes before delivery, severe neonatal depression was observed in 10 per cent of neonates as compared to 5 per cent when accelerations were present. This difference is statistically significant. If accelerations were observed, no correlation was found between rate of FHR increase, amplitude, or duration of accelerations, and fetal or neonatal state.