Which of the following fetal heart rate patterns suggests a risk for fetal distress?

Late decelerations are an important indicator of potential fetal distress. These patterns occur after the peak of a uterine contraction and reflect a delayed response in the fetal heart rate to the uterine contractions. Late decelerations can indicate uteroplacental insufficiency, where the placenta is not providing adequate oxygen to the fetus, which can lead to compromised fetal well-being.

In contrast, other patterns such as normal baseline with moderate variability and early decelerations do not generally indicate fetal distress. Normal baseline heart rate with moderate variability is actually a reassuring sign of fetal well-being, suggesting a healthy autonomic nervous system. Early decelerations are typically associated with head compression during labor and are usually not considered harmful; they have a benign significance if occurring during the labor process.

Minimal variability does suggest a potential concern but it does not have the same immediate implication for fetal distress as late decelerations do, which is why late decelerations are specifically identified as a higher risk indicator in fetal monitoring practices.