Category II: the enormous grey zone
Most tracings fall into a category that means nothing definite.
Category II is the indeterminate middle group, defined only by what it is not. It occurs in the majority of babies in labor and there is no agreed national approach to managing it. The most useful question when a cesarean is proposed for the tracing is: "Which category is it, and what will we try first?"
Where this comes from:
181. Clark SL, Nageotte MP, Garite TJ, et al. Intrapartum management of category II fetal heart rate tracings: towards standardization of care. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 2013;209(2):89-97.
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This page is educational. It supports the conversation with your own clinicians. It is not consent to any treatment, and it cannot assess you. If you are worried about a symptom now, see urgent warning signs.