What is the normal fetal heart rate in the second trimester?

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Multiple Choice

What is the normal fetal heart rate in the second trimester?

Fetal heart rate is not fixed; it changes with gestational age and autonomic development. In the second trimester, the baseline fetal heart rate typically lies around 120 to 160 beats per minute. This range reflects the balance of autonomic control as the fetus grows, with the heart rate able to vary with activity, sleep, and transient states. Accelerations during fetal movement are normal and reassuring, while the heart rate can briefly rise or fall outside the baseline without indicating a problem. Persistent rates well above ~170–180 or below ~110–120 would warrant further evaluation for tachycardia or bradycardia, but occasional fluctuations within or near the 120–160 range are common and expected.

Fetal heart rate is not fixed; it changes with gestational age and autonomic development. In the second trimester, the baseline fetal heart rate typically lies around 120 to 160 beats per minute. This range reflects the balance of autonomic control as the fetus grows, with the heart rate able to vary with activity, sleep, and transient states. Accelerations during fetal movement are normal and reassuring, while the heart rate can briefly rise or fall outside the baseline without indicating a problem. Persistent rates well above ~170–180 or below ~110–120 would warrant further evaluation for tachycardia or bradycardia, but occasional fluctuations within or near the 120–160 range are common and expected.

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