Eighty-eight nonstress tests (NSTs) were obtained on gravid women between 27 and 44 weeks' gestation to compare the results of a three-second acoustic stimulus with a traditional NST. Length of testing time was significantly decreased with the use of acoustic stimulation. Consequently, nursing time and equipment use were also considerably lessened per test. Previous studies indicated that the predictive value of the acoustic stimulation test is comparable or better than the traditional NST.