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Two term-pregnant women presented in the obstetric unit with marked diaphoresis and tremulousness. Fetal heart rate monitoring revealed severe bradycardia. Both mothers had blood glucose levels consistent with the diagnosis of hypoglycemia. In both cases the fetal heart rate normalized with improvement in the mothers' glycemic state. The presence of maternal hypoglycemia should always be considered as a potential cause of fetal bradycardia.

Amnioinfusion is a relatively new technique with a variety of uses. Its most common application is the treatment of variable decelerations in the fetal heart rate during labor. By artificially increasing the amniotic fluid volume, the umbilical cord is better protected from compression. Amnioinfusion can represent the difference between operative intervention and spontaneous vaginal delivery. This simple, inexpensive technique appears to pose little risk and warrants consideration for the properly selected patient.