The nurse caring for the laboring woman should understand that early decelerations are caused by:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Early decelerations are caused by a temporary decrease in fetal cerebral blood flow as a response to uterine contractions. This is because the fetal head is compressed during contractions which causes a slowing of the fetal heart rate. This type of deceleration is considered benign and does not indicate fetal distress.

B. Umbilical cord compression causes variable decelerations.
C. Uteroplacental insufficiency causes late decelerations.
D. Spontaneous rupture of membranes does not necessarily impact fetal heart rate.

The Nurse Caring for the Laboring Woman Should Understand That