Intermittent Auscultation for Intrapartum Fetal Heart Rate Surveillance

Fetal heart rate surveillance is a standard component of intrapartum care. The fetal heart rate can be evaluated using intermittent auscultation or electronic fetal monitoring. Research that has compared these 2 strategies found them to be equivalent with respect to long-term neonatal outcomes. The purpose of this clinical bulletin by the American College of Nurse-Midwives is to review evidence for the use of intermittent auscultation and provide recommendations for intermittent auscultation technique, interpretation, and documentation.