A '''kick chart''' is a form or graph used by a pregnant woman in the later stages to record the activity of her fetus.<ref name=NCT-definition>{{cite web | url = http://www.nct.org.uk/info/Kick_Chart | publisher = National Childbirth Trust | title = Kick Chart | year = 2006 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20071224021903/http://www.nct.org.uk/info/Kick_Chart | archivedate = 24 December 2007}}</ref> If too few kicks are felt within a specified time (usually 12 hours) this could indicate a problem.<ref name=NCT-definition/>
A frequent question posed by midwives is how "many times has the baby kicked in the last twelve hours?" The unborn foetus should move five times per hour,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.stillnomore.org/goal7.htm | title = #7. The Importance of Counting Kicks | publisher = The National Stillbirth Society | date = 10 September 2007 | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20101108074821/http://www.stillnomore.org/goal7.htm | archivedate = 8 November 2010}}</ref> or ten times in any twelve-hour period.{{citation needed|date=August 2013}} In the UK this is regarded as best indication of the health of the baby from the second trimester.
Once routine, use of these charts has declined,<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.babycentre.co.uk/pregnancy/antenatalhealth/physicalhealth/babysmovements/ | publisher = BabyCentre L.L.C. | title = Your baby's movements in pregnancy | date = March 2013 }}</ref> since women often forgot to complete them and fetal movement patterns are very varied, leading to unnecessary concern.
==Foetal kick counters==
A more recent trend in the United Kingdom has been the replacement of the kick chart with jewelry-based counters. A pregnancy bracelet is a wearable form of kick counter.
The bracelets available work on similar principles: the baby kicks, the mother moves a marker. The idea is that this is more practical than using a pen and paper.
The two most widely advertised bracelets are currently undergoing the patent application process.
==See also== *Pregnancy *Stillbirth
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Obstetrics Category:Midwifery
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