In pregnancy, external monitoring of a fetus, using ultrasound A DOU- stress test is painless, requires no drugs or anesthesia, can be performed in the doctor’s office or in a hospital labor room, and takes between 20 and 40 minutes. The nonstress test shows whether the fetus is reactive, meaning that its heart speeds up in response to a uterine contraction or its own movements, or nonreactive, meaning the heart rate neither varies nor speeds up with a contraction or movement. About 20 percent of nonreactive babies are actually in danger.
An external electronic monitoring procedure to assess fetal well-being. An acceleration in fetal heart rate should be evident in response to fetal movement. Reactive test: Two criteria indicate satisfactory fetal status. The monitor records a minimum of two episodes of heart rate acceleration accompanying fetal movement within one 20-min period, and accelerations of 15 beats per minute (BPM) persist for a minimum of 15 sec per episode. Nonreactive test: The monitor record does not meet either criterion for reactivity. This indicates the need for a second test within the next several hours — contraction stress testing, a fetal biophysical profile, or all three. Inconclusive test: The monitor records less than one acceleration in 20 min or an acceleration less than 15 BPM lasting less than 15 sec.