Fetal Heart Beat et al.

When my sister was near term I brought her to the OB doc; she listened to the baby with a special stethoscope and let both of us listen too. The heartbeat was rapid, faint. Cool.

An uncle had trouble seeing; the ophthalmologist found a cholesterol plaque in the retina. A quick listen to his carotids detected stenosis (narrowing). What I heard was a 'fff..fff..fff" He had a fainter sound on the right. Turns out needed his heart worked on. After the surgeries on his neck he's good to go for a long time. He quit smoking and is a diet and exercise adherant now.