Which of the following can be a cause of late decelerations?

Late decelerations in fetal heart rate indicate that the fetus is experiencing a decrease in heart rate towards the end of a contraction, which suggests potential placental insufficiency or compromised blood flow. The primary cause in this situation is uterine tachysystole.

Uterine tachysystole refers to an increase in the frequency of uterine contractions, often exceeding five contractions in a ten-minute period. This can lead to decreased blood flow and oxygen supply to the fetus during contractions, resulting in late decelerations as the fetus is not able to recover adequately between contractions. Thus, identifying uterine tachysystole is crucial in managing fetal well-being during labor.

Other potential factors, while they might contribute to fetal stress, do not directly lead to late decelerations. For instance, maternal dehydration can cause various fetal heart rate changes but is not a direct cause of late decelerations. Excessive maternal exercise may cause temporary variations in fetal heart patterns, but not specifically late decelerations. Rapid fetal movements are typically not associated with late decelerations either, as they are usually indicative of a well-oxygenated and active fetus. Therefore, uterine tachysystole is the most accurate choice related to the occurrence of late dec