Prenatal Care Reasons You Might Need a Biophysical Profile (BPP) During Pregnancy By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH LinkedIn Twitter Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor. Learn about our editorial process Updated on June 14, 2021 Medically reviewed by Brian Levine, MD, MS, FACOG Medically reviewed by Brian Levine, MD, MS, FACOG Brian Levine, MD, MS, FACOG, is board-certified in obstetrics-gynecology, as well as reproductive endocrinology and infertility (REI). He is the director and founding partner of CCRM New York and was named a rising star by Super Doctors from 2017 to 2019. Learn about our Medical Review Board Print Blend Images / Getty Images A Biophysical Profile (BPP) is a test that is performed in late pregnancy using ultrasound and fetal monitoring. The Biophysical Profile is done as a way to try to watch how your baby is doing at the end of pregnancy. Biophysical Profile Scoring Your baby will be scored on five things during the test. A score of 0 (abnormal) or 2 (normal) will be given in each of these categories:Amniotic fluid levelsBody movementsBreathing movementsHeart rateMuscle tone Reasons for a BPP Your doctor or midwife will use the numbers given, along with other factors to decide what to do, if anything with your treatment. This may include doing nothing, waiting and repeating the test, inducing labor, or a cesarean. Here are some reasons that you may have a Biophysical Profile (BPP) ordered for your baby: Other pregnancy complications that your practitioner thinks deserve a better look You are carrying multiples (twins or more) You are experiencing a complication of amniotic fluid (polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios) You have diabetes or gestational diabetes You have had a previous pregnancy loss (stillbirth) You have preeclampsia or other hypertensive disorder in pregnancy Your baby has intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) Your pregnancy has gone past your due date or past 40 weeks gestation This may be a test that you have done once in your pregnancy, once a month or some other regularly scheduled timing. You can discuss what your practitioner is looking for and what the expected outcomes may be depending on what the numbers say. This explanation will also take into consideration other factors in your prenatal care. What Is a Biophysical Profile? 1 Source Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Special Tests for Monitoring Fetal Well-Being. Additional Reading Special Tests for Monitoring Fetal Health. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Patient Education Pamphlet. By Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH Robin Elise Weiss, PhD, MPH is a professor, author, childbirth and postpartum educator, certified doula, and lactation counselor. See Our Editorial Process Meet Our Review Board Share Feedback Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! What is your feedback? Other Helpful Report an Error Submit