What is a key indicator for assessing fetal health during labor?

Fetal heart rate monitoring is a crucial tool for assessing fetal health during labor. The fetal heart rate provides vital information about the baby's wellbeing, allowing healthcare providers to identify any signs of distress or complications. A normal fetal heart rate is typically between 110 to 160 beats per minute. Deviation from this range could indicate issues such as fetal hypoxia or other forms of distress.

Monitoring fetal heart rate enables timely interventions that can prevent potential complications, ensuring that both the fetus and mother remain safe during the labor process. In contrast, the mother's blood pressure, emotional state, and the duration of labor pains, while important to maternal health and overall labor assessment, do not provide direct insights into the condition of the fetus.