What it means
A fetal heart rate pattern on the monitor in which the rate falls quickly (in under 30 seconds) and then recovers. The drops vary in shape, depth, length and timing, and may or may not line up with contractions, so the tracing often looks like a "V", "U" or "W". They are usually caused by squeezing of the umbilical cord.
For the nurse
Common first steps are changing the client's position, stopping an oxytocin infusion and checking for cord prolapse, then reporting to the provider, as the agency's protocol directs.
Remember it
VEAL CHOP: Variable decelerations go with Cord compression.
At a glance
| Also written | variable decelerations |
|---|
Related terms
heart rate
How many times the heart beats per minute.
uterine contraction
A tightening and then relaxing of the muscle of the uterus (womb), as happens during labor.
prolonged deceleration
A drop in the fetal heart rate of at least 15 beats per minute below baseline that lasts 2 minutes or more but less than 10.