Difficulty: Medium
Average Score: 84%
Full-length
As the client reaches 8cm dilation, the nurse notes a pattern on the fetal monitor that shows a drop in the fetal heart rate of 30 bpm beginning at the peak of the contraction and ending at the end of the contraction. The FHR baseline is 165-175 bpm with variability of 0-2 bpm. What is the most likely explanation of this pattern?
Correct answer
D
Rationale
Late decelerations (FHR drop at contraction peak) with minimal variability suggest uteroplacental insufficiency, impairing fetal oxygenation.