Symptoms of hypoxia in late pregnancy

All the baby's nutrition comes from the amniotic fluid. If the nutrition cannot keep up in the later stage, the baby will suffer from hypoxia. If the baby is lacking oxygen, the first symptom is fetal movement. A lively baby will become quiet, and a quiet baby will become agitated. The number of fetal movements will increase significantly. Then, the fetal heart rate will be abnormal during the prenatal check-up. Lack of oxygen will also cause the baby's growth to slow down, so prenatal check-ups must be done well.

1. Changes in fetal movement. This is a normal physiological activity of the fetus. Pregnant women can feel it at 18-20 weeks of pregnancy. The fetal movement varies from fetus to fetus. Generally, static fetuses are gentler and have fewer movements. The movements of an excited fetus are large and frequent. If a originally active fetus suddenly becomes quiet, or a originally quiet fetus suddenly becomes restless, and the fetal movement is less than 10 times/12 hours or more than 40 times/12 hours, there is a possibility of fetal intrauterine hypoxia. This is because the fetus is trying to reduce oxygen consumption or because hypoxia affects the central nervous system. Pregnant women can calculate fetal movements while sitting or lying down, and count for one hour at a fixed time in the morning, noon and evening. The sum of the three times multiplied by 4 is the number of fetal movements in 12 hours. Therefore, pregnant mothers must learn how to count fetal movements so that they can better monitor the condition of the fetus.

2. Abnormal fetal heart rate. The normal fetal heart rate is regular and strong, at 120-160 beats per minute. If the fetal position is normal, it will be on the left or right side of the pregnant woman's lower abdomen, where the fetal back is located. The husband can listen to it with the help of simple instruments. Before the fetal movement decreases, the fetal heart rate becomes too frequent. If it exceeds 160 beats/minute, it is a sign of early fetal hypoxia. If the fetal movement decreases or stops, and the fetal heart rate is less than 120 beats/minute, it is a sign of late fetal hypoxia. The position for listening to the fetal heart rate should be at the place specified by the doctor, but it should be noted that if the fetal heart rate is abnormal, it should be listened to again after 20 minutes; if the fetal heart rate is fast, it should be listened to again when there is no fetal movement.

3. Growth stagnation . The growth of the fetus will also be slow after hypoxia. The growth of the fetus can be determined by measuring the height of the uterine fundus (the distance from the top of the pubic symphysis to the highest point of the uterine fundus). Under normal circumstances, the diameter of the breasts should increase by about 1 cm per week after the 28th week of pregnancy. Pregnant women can measure their blood pressure regularly at home or in the hospital. If there is no growth for two weeks, further investigation should be conducted.