The Main Features of the Doppler Fetal Heart Monitor
A heartbeat Doppler, also called a Doppler fetal monitor or Doppler fetal heartbeat monitor, is a handheld device which uses ultrasound to identify fetal heartbeat as part of the prenatal health care measures.
It was invented in 1958 by Dr. Edward H. Hon, who was first known as the inventor of the invasive method of fetal monitoring. The new technology was named after the Doppler Effect, being based on its principles. The Doppler Effect, which is credited on the other hand to the Austrian physicist Christian Doppler, is the explanation why the frequency of the sound coming from the ambulance siren moves along with vehicle. The sound frequency seems low when someone hears it from an approaching car; it gets louder and louder until the car is closer. The sound gradually dies as the car goes. This scenario happens despite the fact that the frequency of the sound remains constant. Likewise, in case of the fetal heart monitor, the sound that will be simulated and the heartbeat that will be measured correspond to the direct position of the child inside a mother’s womb.
A fetal Doppler gives information that is somehow similar to that of a fetal stethoscope or fetoscope (stethoscope with a shape like a listening trumpet to listen to the sounds of the fetus). However, a baby Doppler allows people around the room other than the user to hear the sound of the heartbeat unlike an acoustic fetoscope.
Baby Dopplers come in different kinds as well. There are Dopplers that are used at home or at the clinic. Some of the famous manufacturers of this fetal heart monitor are the Huntleigh, Parks Medical Electronics, Nicolet, Summer Doppler, and Narang. These manufacturers offer different features from one model to another. For instance, some models are waterproof while some are not. Waterproof Doppler Monitors are used for water births.
There are also different types of frequency for the models. Most medical professionals detect and measure the heartbeat of the fetus using 2 or 3 MHz probes. A 2 MHz probe is usually used for procedures that involve overweight pregnant women. A 3 MHz probe, on the other hand, is most conducive for early pregnancy situations, most especially during the 8th to 10th weeks of conception.
Additionally, there are also Doppler monitors that automatically display the heart rate. Consequently, some types do not display it at all, forcing the medical professional to listen to it religiously, and count it. There are models that display the heart rate in beats per minute through a monitor known as the Doppler auscultation.
Dopplers used at home are of great advantage especially to parents who want to make sure of their child’s progress. It would also enable them to constantly monitor their baby and act immediately in case there was an abnormality or a distress detected. On the other hand, too much dependence on a Doppler could result to casualty. If the parents were not able to detect correctly the spot of the heartbeat, they might panic and could cause unwanted stress to their baby.
If this fetal heart monitor is going to be used in a clinic, a dependable medical expert should be the only one to read and interpret the results. The results are crucial, and they must be precise and accurate. Any wrong actions done because of false interpretations could result to fatal injury.