A mother’s love for their children is always understated. Especially for mothers to be, yearning to hear the baby’s heartbeat every day, checking on him/her. There was only few medical equipment in the past that could perform this procedure, such as ultrasound equipment. It is not extremely accessible though, that’s for sure!
Some might think, what’s the point? Well, monitoring the heartbeat is one of the many important steps for the wellbeing of the mother and the child. It also provides reassurance, and some see it as a way of bonding before the child is born.
A fetal doppler is a way to check on the baby’s heartbeat. It is extremely portable, with it being small and being able to be kept in the pocket. Being extremely convenient has its drawbacks, however. Fetal dopplers are mostly used during the second trimester (Weeks 13 to 28) of pregnancy. Ultrasound machines will be needed to hear the heartbeat in the early stages (before 12 weeks).
With this fetal doppler, everything becomes more convenient. Users will be able to hear the baby’s heartbeat even without the ultrasound machine. It can be bulky, and the fetal doppler will be more versatile.
Over the years, the fetal doppler has improved. In the past, usage of the doppler to listen to the heartbeat would rely on handwritten notes to document that the procedure was performed, being the only evidence. With stricter regulations and guidelines, there is a growing need to now document every procedure in a robust, centrally archived, electronic form as an integral part of a woman’s pregnancy record.
Equipped along with the Huntleigh fetal doppler is a USB communication port. The newer ranges of digital dopplers can connect to the Sonicaid CTG viewing & archiving software systems to provide documentation of the procedure, directly into the mother’s electronic patient record.
The Huntleigh SR2/SR3 and SRX digital dopplers make up the newer ranges. They are rechargeable as standard and can be supplied complete with a medical grade mains charger and cable.
The SR2/SR3 are highly sensitive, intended for general purpose screening of the fetal heart at all stages of pregnancy from as early as 8-10 weeks, right through to labour. The attached probes are waterproof (IPX7) for high sensitivity fetal heart rate (FHR) detection in both normal use and in waterbirth monitoring. The SRX doppler is non waterproof
The dopplers also utilise unique technology of Dynamic Digital Noise Reduction (DDNR). It optimises FHR performance and the high-resolution colour display. The dopplers also present a graph feature, allowing users to toggle between FHR display mode and FHR trace mode. This allows doctors to better visualise the heartbeat and can identify issues earlier.
Image from Huntleigh fetal doppler brochure.
With such features, it allows for smooth and convenient usage for clinicians to help give parents a ease of mind.
Request a demo with us now here! We would be happy to help you out here at Scanmed to discuss solutions that meet your needs.
This article is for general use, and we do not recommend the usage of fetal dopplers for home use, but only with the assistance of clinicians/doctors.
Citations
Fetal Heart Monitoring: Purpose, Procedures & Results. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/23464-fetal-heart-rate-monitoring#:~:text=Fetal%20monitoring%20tracks%20the%20speed
Huntleigh Healthcare | Sonicaid | Obstetrics | SR2 SR3 Dopplers. (n.d.). Www.huntleigh-Diagnostics.com. Retrieved December 22, 2022, from https://www.huntleigh-diagnostics.com/sonicaid-digital-sr2/sr3