The electronic fetal monitor: should every mother have one?

In little more than a decade, the use of electronic fetal monitoring has become standard obstetric practice. Increasingly it is being suggested that all labors should be monitored electronically, and that such universal monitoring will result in improved neonatal outcome. This paper reviews the evidence in what has been termed "the fetal monitoring debate",(1) concluding that there is no indication for monitoring low risk labors, and that in fact too many-rather than too few-labors are being monitored.