Jayne Haley, RN, Nurse Educator (second from right) and Renaldo Figueroa, MD, Chief of Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine (far right) demonstrate the OxiFirstTM Fetal Pulse Oximeter to Cathyjo Catalano, RN, Nurse Manager, New Life Center (third from right) and Eileen Magri, RN, C, MSN, Director of Nursing, Maternal Child Health second from left) as Dev Maulik, MD, Ph.D; Chairman, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology (far left) looks on. Fetal oxygen levels are shown on the monitor as the sensor takes the reading while the baby is still in the womb.

"Research and published reports on the use of light to measure baby's oxygenation indicates that this technology has the potential of more accurately assessing baby's wellbeing in the mother's womb during labor and delivery," said Dev Maulik, MD, Ph.D., Chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Winthrop "Reports have been very encouraging on fetal pulse oximetry and we at Winthrop will be improving upon its use."

Almost one third of all childbirths in the United States are marked by a period of uncertainty over the safety of the baby due to an abnormal heart rate pattern. For the first time, fetal pulse oximetry provides clinicians with reliable, direct measurement of fetal oxygen status when these patterns are present.

"Working in conjunction with the fetal heart monitor, fetal pulse oximetry provides us with one more piece of critical data that allows us to view the big picture and monitor closely the condition of the baby," said Eileen Magri, RN, C, MSN, Director of Nursing, Maternal/Child Health at Winthrop. "The OxiFirst™ System is one more tool for us to use to determine whether labor can progress safely through periods of a non-reassuring heart rate."

The OxiFirst™ Fetal Pulse Oximeter utilizes a single-use, flexible, disposable sensor that is easily inserted through the birth canal once the membranes have ruptured and the cervix is dilated past two centimeters. The sensor rests against the fetal cheek, forehead or temple and is held in place by the uterus.

As with conventional pulse oximetry, harmless red and infrared light shines into the baby's skin and the reflected light is captured and analyzed. The oxygen saturation is displayed on a monitor screen as a percentage. The normal oxygen saturation for a baby in the womb, receiving oxygenated blood from the placenta, is usually between 30 and 70 percent.

Reinaldo Figueroa, MD, Chief of Obstetrics and Maternal and Fetal Medicine at Winthrop, notes, "The Hospital's clinical trials will examine the benefits of the use of light to measure a baby's oxygenation during labor and delivery. In addition, we will be looking at the potential fetal pulse oximetry may have in possibly decreasing the number of cesarean deliveries."

Dr. Maulik went on to explain that the Hospital is using this new technology in a very disciplined and systematic way to ensure that it does more for what is best for the mothers and babies at Winthrop than what is best for science.

"This technology refines our ability to identify babies that are under distress during labor and is a wonderful tool to indicate a baby's oxygen level. We are very excited and enthusiastic about this new system here at Winthrop," he concluded.

For more information on OxiFirstTM, please call The Women's Resource Center in The Institute for Family Care at 1-888-53-WOMEN.