NCC Certified Electronic Fetal Monitoring (C-EFM) Practice Exam

Maternal obesity can significantly affect the accuracy of fetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring. In obese patients, the excess adipose tissue may create barriers to effective signal transmission between the monitoring device and the fetal heart. This can lead to poor quality of the FHR tracing, making it challenging to accurately interpret fetal heart patterns. Additionally, it may hinder the ability to place the monitoring device in optimal positions, leading to potential misinterpretation.

Other factors, while they may seem relevant, do not directly contribute to inaccuracies in the interpretation of fetal heart rate patterns in the same way. Proper placement of monitoring devices is crucial for accurate readings, minimizing fetal movements typically refers to ensuring optimal conditions for monitoring rather than causing errors, and underestimating baseline heart rates would be more a result of poor measurement techniques rather than an inherent complication that could stem from biological or physical factors. Therefore, maternal obesity stands out as a notable contributor to potential inaccuracies in FHR interpretation.