Fetal distress refers to the comprehensive symptoms of fetus in utero that endanger its health and life due to acute or chronic hypoxia, divided into acute and chronic. 1. Acute fetal distress in utero: it mainly occurs during labor, mostly caused by umbilical cord abnormality, placenta praevia, placental abruption, strong contractions, prolonged labor and shock. In the early stage of hypoxia, the fetus shows frequent fetal movement, but with the seriousness of hypoxia, fetal movement decreases or even disappears; the examination shows abnormal fetal heart rate; the fetus can excrete meconium due to hypoxia, which leads to amniotic fluid and meconium contamination, and the amniotic fluid is cloudy and green or yellow; the blood gas analysis can reveal fetal acidosis. 2, chronic intrauterine distress: often occurs in late pregnancy, mostly due to severe anemia, hypertensive disease during pregnancy, chronic nephritis, diabetes, etc. The fetal manifestations include reduced or even absent fetal movement, abnormal fetal heart rate, low biophysical score and abnormal fetal umbilical blood flow. The low biophysical score may be reflected in reduced respiratory movements, decreased fetal movement, abnormal muscle tone such as inactivity, full extension or slow extension of limbs, and decreased amniotic fluid volume. In summary, intrauterine distress is an abnormality that is predominantly due to various causes of fetal hypoxia and acidosis. Urgent clinical management after adequate communication with the patient and family is required, otherwise an adverse outcome of intrauterine fetal death can occur.