Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat’s NormalChanges During PregnancyDaily ChangesAbnormal Heart RatesCauses of AbnormalitiesMonitoring MethodsProfessional vs. At-Home MonitoringFrequently Asked Questions
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What’s Normal
Changes During Pregnancy
Daily Changes
Abnormal Heart Rates
Causes of Abnormalities
Monitoring Methods
Professional vs. At-Home Monitoring
Frequently Asked Questions
A normal heart rate for a fetus can range from 110 to 160 beats per minute (BPM). Very early in pregnancy, it is typically around 110 BPM. Fetal heart rate may speed up to 140 to 170 BPM around the ninth week and slow to around 110 to 160 BPM thereafter.
This article reviews normal fetal heart rate, how it is measured, who should monitor it, and what causes variations.
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Normal Fetal Heart Rate
For most of your pregnancy, the fetal heart rate will average between 110 and 160 BPM.
Fetal Heart Rate Changes Throughout Pregnancy
The average fetal heart rate varies depending on thestage of pregnancy. Here’s generally what to expect:
Fetal Heart Rate Changes Throughout the Day
The heart rate increases while they are moving around and decreases while they’re asleep. These changes are similar to what adults experience while exercising or at rest.
Weeks 10 to 12 are typically when a fetus’s heartbeat can be heard for the first time during a prenatal visit.
What Is an Abnormal Fetal Heart Rate?
An abnormal fetal heart rate is one that is either too fast or two slow.
Bradycardia
Bradycardia is when the fetal heart rate isslower than 110 BPM. This is very uncommon and usually temporary.
Bradycardia that persists can indicate a problem such as fetal distress or a problem with the way electrical signals are transmitted in the heart.
Most of the time, fetal bradycardia doesn’t need to be treated. Sometimes, however, it will require interventions like medication or early delivery.
Tachycardia
Tachycardia is when the fetal heart rate isfaster than 160 BPM.It is uncommon and usually temporary. If your fetus experiences tachycardia for a long period of time or it happens more than once or twice, it could indicate a problem such as fetal distress or infection.
Tachycardia may resolve on its own, or it may be treated with medication to help lower the heart rate. If you are not in labor, you may need to stay in the hospital for monitoring to see how the fetus responds to the medication.
Sometimes, babies that experience tachycardia need follow-up care after they are born.
What Causes an Abnormal Fetal Heart Rate?
Depending on the stage of pregnancy, different tests will be used to clarify the reason for the abnormal heart rate.
This may have to do with something happening in the mother’s body. These are called maternal causes and may include:
Week-to-Week Pregnancy Timeline
Methods for Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring
There are two different ways to check fetal heart rate: external monitoring and internal monitoring.
External Monitoring
External monitoring means checking the fetal heart rate through the mother’s belly. TheDoppler machineis an example of external monitoring and can be used during prenatal visits or labor.
Healthcare providers may also usecontinuous external electronic monitoringduring labor.They secure external sensors to the abdomen with an elastic belt or an electrode that resembles a round sticker. The fetal heart rate and contraction information appear on an attached computer screen.
Fetal heart rate monitoring during labor help healthcare providers watch how a fetus responds to contractions, medications, tests, and pushing.
What Is Deceleration During Labor?
Internal Monitoring
Who Should Monitor Fetal Heart Rate?
As such, fetal heart rate checks are best left to qualified medical professionals.
Home Monitoring Risks
Summary
12-Week Ultrasound to Check Fetal Health, Gender, and More
A fetal heart rate greater than 160 beats per minute (BPM) is considered fast. It is called fetal tachycardia when it is greater than 160 to 180 BPM.Learn MoreOverview of Tachycardias and Fast Heart Rhythms
A fetal heart rate greater than 160 beats per minute (BPM) is considered fast. It is called fetal tachycardia when it is greater than 160 to 180 BPM.
Learn MoreOverview of Tachycardias and Fast Heart Rhythms
Learn MoreWhat Is a Non-Stress Test?
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists.Fetal heart rate monitoring during labor.Pildner von Steinburg S, Boulesteix AL, Lederer C, et al.What is the “normal” fetal heart rate?.PeerJ. 2013;1:e82. doi:10.7717/peerj.82Ayres-de-Campos D, Spong C, Chandraharan E.FIGO consensus guidelines on intrapartum fetal monitoring: cardiotocography.Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2015;131(1):13-24. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.06.019.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fetal heart monitoring.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Prenatal care in your first trimester.Ghenbot R, Gonzalez-Brown V, Markham K.Management of fetal supraventricular tachycardia: three cases at a single institution.Obstet Gynecol Cases Rev.2019;6:146. doi:10.23937/2377-9004/1410146UT Southwestern Medical Center.What happens if my prenatal doctor hears a fetal heart arrhythmia?.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Fetal development.Consumer Reports.Think twice before buying an at-home fetal Doppler.Blaize AN, Pearson KJ, Newcomer SC.Impact of maternal exercise during pregnancy on offspring chronic disease susceptibility.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2015;43(4):198-203. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000058.
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists.Fetal heart rate monitoring during labor.Pildner von Steinburg S, Boulesteix AL, Lederer C, et al.What is the “normal” fetal heart rate?.PeerJ. 2013;1:e82. doi:10.7717/peerj.82Ayres-de-Campos D, Spong C, Chandraharan E.FIGO consensus guidelines on intrapartum fetal monitoring: cardiotocography.Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2015;131(1):13-24. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.06.019.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fetal heart monitoring.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Prenatal care in your first trimester.Ghenbot R, Gonzalez-Brown V, Markham K.Management of fetal supraventricular tachycardia: three cases at a single institution.Obstet Gynecol Cases Rev.2019;6:146. doi:10.23937/2377-9004/1410146UT Southwestern Medical Center.What happens if my prenatal doctor hears a fetal heart arrhythmia?.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Fetal development.Consumer Reports.Think twice before buying an at-home fetal Doppler.Blaize AN, Pearson KJ, Newcomer SC.Impact of maternal exercise during pregnancy on offspring chronic disease susceptibility.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2015;43(4):198-203. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000058.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists.Fetal heart rate monitoring during labor.Pildner von Steinburg S, Boulesteix AL, Lederer C, et al.What is the “normal” fetal heart rate?.PeerJ. 2013;1:e82. doi:10.7717/peerj.82Ayres-de-Campos D, Spong C, Chandraharan E.FIGO consensus guidelines on intrapartum fetal monitoring: cardiotocography.Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2015;131(1):13-24. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.06.019.Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fetal heart monitoring.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Prenatal care in your first trimester.Ghenbot R, Gonzalez-Brown V, Markham K.Management of fetal supraventricular tachycardia: three cases at a single institution.Obstet Gynecol Cases Rev.2019;6:146. doi:10.23937/2377-9004/1410146UT Southwestern Medical Center.What happens if my prenatal doctor hears a fetal heart arrhythmia?.National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Fetal development.Consumer Reports.Think twice before buying an at-home fetal Doppler.Blaize AN, Pearson KJ, Newcomer SC.Impact of maternal exercise during pregnancy on offspring chronic disease susceptibility.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2015;43(4):198-203. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000058.
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists.Fetal heart rate monitoring during labor.
Pildner von Steinburg S, Boulesteix AL, Lederer C, et al.What is the “normal” fetal heart rate?.PeerJ. 2013;1:e82. doi:10.7717/peerj.82
Ayres-de-Campos D, Spong C, Chandraharan E.FIGO consensus guidelines on intrapartum fetal monitoring: cardiotocography.Int J Gynecol Obstet. 2015;131(1):13-24. doi:10.1016/j.ijgo.2015.06.019.
Johns Hopkins Medicine.Fetal heart monitoring.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Prenatal care in your first trimester.
Ghenbot R, Gonzalez-Brown V, Markham K.Management of fetal supraventricular tachycardia: three cases at a single institution.Obstet Gynecol Cases Rev.2019;6:146. doi:10.23937/2377-9004/1410146
UT Southwestern Medical Center.What happens if my prenatal doctor hears a fetal heart arrhythmia?.
National Library of Medicine: MedlinePlus.Fetal development.
Consumer Reports.Think twice before buying an at-home fetal Doppler.
Blaize AN, Pearson KJ, Newcomer SC.Impact of maternal exercise during pregnancy on offspring chronic disease susceptibility.Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2015;43(4):198-203. doi:10.1249/JES.0000000000000058.
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