Study of the effect of the anticonvulsants, diazepam and magnesium sulfate, on the electronic fetal heart rate monitoring and the neonate

This study included 32 patients. Twenty of them were in active labor with mild hypertension. Each one was given 10 mg diazepam IV to relieve her anxiety. The other twelve patients had severe pregnancy hypertension and significant albuminuria. Each patient of the latter group was given magnesium sulfate [4 gm IV and 10 gm IM] to prevent convulsions. Electronic fetal heart rate [F.H.R.] monitoring was done for all cases before and after drug administration. Both drugs had insignificant reducing effect on baseline FHR. Diazepam produced a significant reduction of both the long and short term variability while the effect of Mg sulfate on both of them was insignificant. Diminished or disappearance of the normally occurring accelerations with uterine contractions, occurred in 70% of the diazepam group and in 50% in the Mg sulfate group, while 25% of both groups did not show any change. Most of the above changes worn off one hour after injection of the drugs in about half of the affected cases. The mode of delivery and the appeared neonatal complications were mostly related to the clinical condition of the patient rather than to the effect of the drugs used