Perinatal healthcare has developed significantly over the last few decades, protecting expectant mothers and babies throughout pregnancy. One piece of technology that has enabled midwives and doctors to monitor perinatal health is a foetal doppler.
These are handheld ultrasound machines that reveal the heart rate of the foetus. They do this by using high-frequency sound waves to show any foetal movements.
It detects changes in movement, such as the baby’s heart, and translates these into audible sound.
As the ultrasound waves bounce off the blood cells in the heart, this changes the frequency in waves, which is why a rhythmic sound can be heard on the Hi Bebe doppler.
Unlike ultrasound scans, they do not provide an image of the baby, just the sound of the heartbeat. Some might also display the number of heartbeats on the unit, which is connected to the probe by a cord.
The healthcare provider, whether it is a doctor or midwife, will put gel on the end of the probe and then gently push this into the expectant mother’s lower stomach until it detects sound.
If the unit does not display the heartbeats, the medical practitioner might have to count these themselves. A normal heart rate is between 110 and 160 beats per minute. If the foetus’ is much lower or higher than this, it could be an indication that something is wrong.
Dopplers are regularly used at midwife appointments during pregnancy to check on the baby, as well as during labour to make sure they are not under stress.
While they are very helpful for healthcare professionals to monitor the baby’s health, pregnancy and baby charity Tommy’s has warned people should be careful when buying their own.
This is because they could offer false reassurance that their child is ok when they are actually hearing the mummy’s heartbeat or the pulsation of the placenta instead of the baby’s heart.