Can a fetal heartbeat be heard with a stethoscope?
Disease description:
I am now over four months pregnant and am generally concerned about my baby’s well-being. I would like to use a stethoscope to listen to the fetal heartbeat—can a stethoscope detect the fetal heart rate?
Doctor's answer (1)
Dr. Zhang Jianhai
A fetal heartbeat can be heard using a stethoscope, but it is typically not clearly audible until later in pregnancy. Due to attenuation by amniotic fluid and the maternal abdominal wall, detecting the fetal heartbeat with a stethoscope is difficult during early gestation. It is recommended that pregnant women undergo regular abdominal ultrasound examinations; Doppler ultrasound can reliably detect the fetal heartbeat.
