Highlights
- •Maternal hypothermia may affect baseline fetal heart rate and variability.
- •Differential diagnosis for fetal heart rate changes includes maternal temperature.
- •Maternal temperature should be monitored and regulated during non-obstetric surgery.
Abstract
While it is well known that maternal temperature affects fetal heart rate, the exact
relationship is not well described. The circumstances accompanying most cases of maternal
hypothermia and rewarming (e.g. a drowning event) have precluded a precise quantitative
description of this relationship. We describe hypothermia and controlled rewarming
during resection of a maternal brain stem tumor in the early third trimester. Continuous
electronic fetal heart rate and core temperature monitoring demonstrated a near linear
relationship during the development of hypothermia and rewarming. Recognition of the
close relationship between maternal temperature and fetal heart rate can help safeguard
maternal and fetal health, and prevent unnecessary delivery during non-obstetric surgery
in pregnancy.
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: May 25, 2021
Accepted:
May 19,
2021
Identification
Copyright
© 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
