ArticleBMC pregnancy and childbirth2026
Feasibility and safety of intrapartum foetal pulse oximetry using a disposable scalp probe: a cross-sectional study.
Article in BMC pregnancy and childbirth, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAssessment of foetal wellbeing during labour is critical for reducing adverse perinatal outcomes. While pulse oximetry is widely used in adult and paediatric medicine, its application in intrapartum foetal monitoring remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the feasibility and safety of a foetal pulse oximeter device (OxiReed™, formerly First Touch™) for obtaining intrapartum foetal oxygen saturation (SpO₂) measurements.
methodsA cross-sectional study was conducted at a tertiary referral hospital involving 110 women in the first or second stage of labour. Eligible participants had singleton pregnancies at ≥ 34 weeks’ gestation, vertex presentation, and ruptured membranes. A disposable foetal pulse oximetry probe was applied to the foetal scalp during routine vaginal examinations. SpO₂ values were recorded for feasibility assessment and descriptive analysis, with a value of 60% used as a descriptive reference threshold. Concurrent CTG tracings were classified according to both the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the U.S. National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) criteria. The primary outcomes were technical feasibility (successful acquisition of readings), time to acquisition, and safety, with descriptive associations between SpO₂ levels and CTG categories explored. Data were analysed using RStudio version 4.3.2.
resultsFoetal pulse oximetry readings were successfully obtained in all 110 participants, yielding 198 paired SpO₂–CTG observations. The median acquisition time was 14 s (IQR 10–21), and no adverse maternal or neonatal events were reported. Most normal CTG tracings were associated with SpO₂ values ≥ 60%, while lower SpO₂ values were more frequently observed in not-normal CTGs. All neonates had reassuring short-term outcomes based on clinical assessment.
conclusionsFoetal pulse oximetry during labour using a disposable scalp probe was feasible, safe, and allowed rapid acquisition of SpO2 readings under routine labour ward conditions. This study was not designed to evaluate diagnostic accuracy, validated SpO₂ thresholds, or impact on intrapartum decision-making. Larger prospective studies incorporating biochemical reference standards are required to determine whether this technology has a role as an adjunct to conventional intrapartum monitoring. TRIALS REGISTRATION: ( http://www.edctp.org/pan-african-clinical-trials-registry/ ) Trial Number: PACTR202010913594375 on 28th October 2020.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.