Antepartum Intrapratum Postpartum

Antepartum Intrapratum Postpartum

Antepartum

Antepartum testing consists of a variety of tests performed late in pregnancy to verify fetal well-being, as judged by the baby's heart rate and other characteristics. Antepartum tests include the nonstress test (NST), biophysical profile, and contraction stress test (CST). The NST is usually the first antepartum test used to verify fetal well-being. It is based on the principle that when the fetus moves, its heartbeat normally speeds up. The NST assesses fetal health through monitoring accelerations of the heart rate in response to the baby's own movements, i.e., in the absence of stress (Howard et al. ...