[Postnatal monitoring of the newborn infant with cardiotachography. II. Significance of cardiotachography for diagnosis of existing conditions in the newborn infant].

Eighty-five cardiotachograms of newborns aged between 34 and 42 weeks of gestation were studied. Fifty newborns were delivered spontaneously. In seventeen cases caesarean sections were used and in eighteen cases vacuum extractions. Cardiotachograms were recorded continuously throughout the immediate postnatal period until the stabilisation of the heart rate. Cardiotachograms were divided into three typical groups based on their cours of heart rate and fluctuation. The relation between these groups and the methods and duration of delivery and the condition of newborns were discussed. We found a correlation between the pathological cardiotachograms (tachycardiac and bradycardiac type of cardiotachogram) and long expulsion time, existent history of intrauterine disorder and low Apgar score. No relationship could be established between pathological cardiotachograms and the method of delivery.