Safety standards
This table can be used to define and interpret cardiotocograph traces and to guide the management of the labour for women who are having continuous cardiotocography.
Other tools and resources
Chapter ten of this guidance for the care of healthy women and babies during childbirth outlines recommendations for the monitoring of healthy patients intrapartum.
Other tools and resources
This article deals with those monitoring techniques that are used immediately preceding or during childbirth - known as intrapartum fetal monitoring. It looks at criticisms of the routine use of electronic fetal monitoring, who should have monitoring, fetal blood sampling, and potential future developments in this field.
Other tools and resources
No evidence linking cardiotocography and mobile phone use was identified using the standard clinical query protocol. Additional searching identified advice from the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency on the use of mobile phones in hospitals.
Academic papers
A Cochrane review of antenatal cardiotocography for fetal assessment found no clear evidence that antenatal CTG improves perinatal outcome.
Improvement reports
In 2010, a group of supervisors of midwives from NHS Forth Valley identified current themes of misinterpretation of cardiotocography (CTG) and poor documentation through a process of investigation and case note review. It was decided that a robust and innovative practice known as a ‘buddy system’ would be introduced. This reduces adverse outcomes and enables effective professional learning.
