Fetoscope Project

The Pinard fetoscope is still the most widely used fetal heart rate monitoring device in low-income settings. With the Pinard fetoscope, the midwife must bend over the mother’s abdomen to auscultate the FHR (fetal heart rate) which can be strenuous to the back. Its use can cause some discomfort to heavily pregnant and laboring women hence its use is limited to perinatal fetal heart rate monitoring. Results by Pinard fetoscopes are not standardized and are subject to the biased individual interpretations of the midwives. Its use demands a lot of multitasking since they have to monitor FHR, mother’s pulse and time at the same time. This increases the error rate in its use.